The group says it will stop attacking ships linked to Israel when all phases of the Gaza ceasefire agreement are completed.
Yemen’s Houthis will limit their attacks on commercial shipping to Israel-linked vessels only, provided the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented, the group said, potentially reducing disruptions affecting maritime commerce worldwide for over a year.
The Sanaa-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which liaises between Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators, said on Sunday it was ending “sanctions” against ships belonging to entities American and British, as well as to ships sailing under both. country flags.
“We affirm that in the event of aggression against the Republic of Yemen by the United States of America, the United Kingdom or the usurping Israeli entity, sanctions will be reinstated against the aggressor,” he said. shipping industry officials said in an email sent to Sunday.
The HOCC said the Houthis would only stop targeting ships linked to Israel “after the full implementation of all phases of the agreement.”
A Houthi spokesperson told Tel Aviv Tribune on Sunday that the group would cease its military operations against Israel as well as its commercial ships in the Red Sea if the truce came into effect on Sunday.
A ceasefire agreed by Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas to end the 15-month war on Gaza took effect on Sunday and is expected to take place in three phases over several weeks.
In response to Israel’s war on Gaza, the Iran-backed Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023, sinking two ships and killing at least four sailors.
The Houthis have targeted the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, joined by the narrow Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, disrupting trade international on the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.
Many of the world’s largest shipping companies suspended voyages across the Red Sea last year and diverted their ships to the southern tip of Africa to avoid attack.
The Houthis have also carried out direct attacks against Israel.
In response, the UK and US have carried out numerous strikes against targets in Yemen to deter the Houthis. Washington also imposed sanctions against the rebel group.
For its part, Israel has bombed several power plants and ports controlled by the Houthis, including the port of Hodeidah – seen as a lifeline for the war-torn country.
Executives from retail and insurance companies told the Reuters news agency last week that they were not ready to return to the Red Sea due to uncertainty over continued attacks by the Houthis against ships.
Although the number of ships targeted is small compared to the volume of trafficking, the rebel group’s strategy has proven effective in increasing transportation costs, including insurance and pay for sailors working in high-risk areas.
Higher hazard insurance premiums, in particular, have led to additional costs of several hundred thousand dollars for a seven-day voyage for any ship passing through the region.
Reuters cited a spokesperson for German container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd as saying on Monday that the company was still monitoring the situation, adding that “we will return to the Red Sea when it is safe to do so.”
Jakob Larsen, head of safety and security at shipping association BIMCO, said that “assuming the ceasefire is respected… shipping companies should gradually resume operations across the Red Sea.”