Houthis to attack all ships that work with Israeli ports – Washington Examiner
The Yemeni Houthi rebel group has declared that it will attack any ships that operate with Israeli ports,regardless of the ships’ nationality or destination. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated that their forces would target these vessels wherever they can be reached by missiles or drones. This announcement marks the fourth phase of the Houthis’ naval blockade against Israel, aimed at pressuring Israel to stop its military aggression and lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Houthis assert that their military actions are driven by a moral and humanitarian commitment to supporting the Palestinian people.
Previously, the Houthis had paused attacks on shipping in the Red Sea following a U.S. bombing campaign and a ceasefire announced in May 2023. However, this ceasefire was seemingly broken in early July when the group attacked two ships, resulting in casualties. the U.S. response was limited to condemnation without military retaliation. Meanwhile, Israel faces growing international pressure due to accusations of starving Gaza’s civilian population, leading it to announce a humanitarian pause and resumption of aid deliveries amid its campaign against Hamas.
Houthis to attack all ships that work with Israeli ports
The Yemeni Houthis have announced they will attack all ships that works with Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality or destination.
In a statement on Sunday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree warned that if companies continue to work with Israeli ports, their ships would be targeted “anywhere that can be reached or within the reach of our missiles and drones.”
Saree added that this “escalation,” which is part of the Houthis’ fourth phase of its naval blockade against Israel, is designed to pressure Israel to “halt its aggression and lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip.”
“The actions of the Yemeni Armed Forces express our moral and humanitarian commitment to the injustice against the brotherly Palestinian people, and all our military operations will cease immediately upon the cessation of aggression against Gaza and the lifting of the blockade,” Saree’s statement said.
The Houthis’ new phase marks a renewal of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea following the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas in 2023.
Those attacks largely stopped following a U.S. bombing campaign against the rebel group in March of this year, after which a ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump in mid-May.
But that ceasefire was seemingly violated in early July, when the rebel group attacked two ships, one of which resulted in the deaths of three crew members and the kidnapping of others.
The United States’s response to that violation was muted. The State Department condemned the attacks, but no military response was launched.
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Pressure is only increasing in the region, however, as Israel now faces accusations of starving the civilian population in Gaza amid its military campaign to eliminate Hamas.
The international pressure on Israel has led to it establishing a “humanitarian pause” in its fighting to allow aid to surge into Gaza, as well as the resumption of airdrops of food.
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