The Houthi group pledged to target every cargo ship heading to Israel, regardless of its nationality or the party that runs it, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which is being subjected to Israeli aggression that has so far led to the death of more than 17,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.
After launching attacks against Israeli ships in the Red Sea, the Houthi group announced on Saturday that it was expanding the scope of its operations to include every ship heading to Israel, regardless of its nationality.
The group’s military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said, “Any ships heading towards the Zionist entity will be a legitimate target.”
He added, “We announce that ships bound for the Zionist entity will be prohibited from passing if food and medicine do not enter the Gaza Strip.”
Sarie warned “all ships and companies against dealing with Israeli ports.”
The group controls Sanaa and Hodeidah overlooking the Red Sea, along with many governorates of northern and central Yemen.
Previous attacks
The Houthi group recently targeted Israeli ships, in solidarity with the Gaza Strip in the face of the occupation war that has been ongoing for more than two months.
On November 19, the Houthis took control of the Israeli ship Galaxy Leader and took it and its crew to the Yemeni coast.
On the 25th of the same month, a Yemeni drone attacked the Kalandar ship, owned by the Israeli company ZIM. Two days ago, a Yemeni march bombed two Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
The group said, in a statement, “The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in Gaza stops.”
These operations have forced Israeli ships to take more expensive shipping routes around Africa.
International shipping lines said these routes could add 18 days to the time spent on Israeli ships before the Houthi attacks.
