Yemeni rebels warn that Israeli ships violating their Red Sea “ban” will be targeted as a four-day deadline for the resumption of aid to the Palestinian enclave passes.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have announced they will resume attacks on Israeli ships after their deadline for Israel to allow the resumption of aid deliveries into Gaza expired.
The armed group stated late on Tuesday that it was “reinstating the ban on the passage of all Israeli ships” in the Red Sea after Israel failed to meet the deadline set by the Houthis last Friday.
The Iran-aligned Yemeni group declared that the ban would take effect immediately, warning that “any Israeli ship attempting to violate this ban shall be targeted in the declared zone of operations.”
The “ban” also extends to the Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, the group added.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country, have maintained a campaign targeting the busy sea route amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
These attacks have disrupted global trade, forcing a significant volume of maritime traffic between Asia and Europe to divert away from the Suez Canal and instead take the far longer route around Africa.
The group had halted its drone and missile attacks, which targeted vessels with even tenuous links to Israel, when a Gaza ceasefire was declared in January. However, they threatened to resume the attacks after Israel blocked all aid into war-torn Gaza on March 2 in an effort to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining captives taken during its October 7, 2023, attack.
The Houthis stated on Tuesday that their attacks will continue until Israel allows aid deliveries into Gaza.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 attacks targeting shipping off Yemen’s coast, claiming their actions are in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians.
These attacks have resulted in two vessels being sunk, another seized, and at least four seafarers killed, with many more taken captive. The campaign has significantly disrupted global shipping.
In response, the United States and European Union have deployed naval missions to protect shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US and the United Kingdom have also conducted numerous airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.
Analysts suggest these actions have elevated the Houthis’ profile, transforming the group from a localized threat into one that now directly challenges Israeli and Western interests.
Earlier this month, the US formally designated the Houthi movement, known as Ansar Allah, as a “foreign terrorist” organization.
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