Yemen’s Houthis to target only ships linked to Israel after Gaza ceasefire | News about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The group says it will stop attacking ships linked to Israel when all phases of the Gaza ceasefire deal are completed.

Yemen’s Houthis will limit theirs attacks on commercial ships only for ships connected to Israel, provided ceasefire in Gaza has been fully implemented, the group said, potentially reducing the disruptions that have affected global maritime trade for more than a year.

The Sanaa-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which links Houthi forces and commercial shipping operators, said on Sunday it was halting “sanctions” against ships owned by US and British entities, as well as ships flying the two countries’ flags.

“We confirm that, in the event of any aggression against the Republic of Yemen by the United States of America, the United Kingdom or the usurping Israeli entity, sanctions against the aggressor will be reimposed,” an email sent to a shipping industry official said on Sunday.

The HOCC said the Houthis would stop targeting ships linked to Israel only “after full implementation of all phases of the agreement.”

The Houthi spokesman had he told Al Jazeera on Sunday that the group would halt its military operations against Israel as well as merchant ships in the Red Sea if the ceasefire takes effect on Sunday.

A ceasefire agreed by Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas to end the 15-month war in Gaza came into force on Sunday and is set to unfold in three phases over several weeks.

In response to Israel’s war against GazaThe Iran-backed Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023, sinking two vessels and killing at least four sailors.

The Houthis have targeted the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are connected by the narrow Bab al-Mandeb strait, a hub between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East – disrupting international trade on the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.

Many of the world’s largest shipping companies suspended voyages through the Red Sea last year and diverted their vessels around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the attack.

The Houthis also carried out direct attacks on Israel.

In response, Great Britain and the US executed numerous strikes on targets inside Yemen to deter the Houthis. Washington also imposed sanctions to the rebel group.

For its part, Israel has bombed several Houthi-controlled power plants and ports, including the port of Hodeidah – seen as a lifeline for the war-torn nation.

Retail and insurance company executives told the Reuters news agency last week that they were not ready to return to the Red Sea because of uncertainty over whether the Houthis would continue to attack ships.

Although the number of ships targeted is low relative to the volume of traffic, the rebel group’s strategy has proven effective in raising transportation costs, including insurance and wages for sailors working in high-risk areas.

In particular, higher risk insurance premiums meant additional costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a seven-day trip for all ships sailing in the area.

Reuters quoted a spokesman for German container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd as saying on Monday that the company was still monitoring the situation, saying “we will return to the Red Sea when it is safe to do so”.

Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at shipping association BIMCO, said “assuming the ceasefire holds… shipping companies are expected to gradually resume operations through the Red Sea”.