Sanaa (South24)

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On Tuesday (March 11) night, the Houthi militia in Yemen announced that they will resume maritime attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Arabian Sea. This comes after the expiration of the deadline given to Israel to allow the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza.

The announcement follows a four-day warning by Top Houthi leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, who vowed to continue the Red Sea military maritime operations unless humanitarian supplies were allowed into the besieged enclave.

In a statement, the Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, confirmed that the naval blockade on Israel would continue for at least another month, emphasizing that any ship “linked to Israel” would be a legitimate target for the group.

The statement stressed that these operations are “in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank”, and affirmed that Houthis “stand alongside Palestinian resistance”.

Earlier this month, Israel blocked entry of relief trucks into Gaza, escalating tensions amid the stalled ceasefire negotiations with Hamas. The international community has condemned this move as one that deepens the humanitarian crisis.

Since November 2023, Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial ships, resulting in the sinking of two vessels, the seizure of another, and the deaths of at least four sailors. These attacks have caused significant disruptions to global shipping, prompting many companies to reroute their vessels via the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal.

While the Houthis have not issued a direct threat to the US Navy, Western naval forces, including the US Fifth Fleet and the European Union’s Operation Aspides, remain on high alert in the region.

It is worth noting that the United States re-designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on January 22, based on an executive order by President Donald Trump. The designation came into effect on March 4.

According to the US State Department, the move aims to impose stricter economic sanctions on the Iran-backed group in response to its attacks on international shipping and US forces in the region.