Yemen’s Houthis signal they will limit attacks to Israeli ships

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels signaled on Monday that they would now limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated vessels after a ceasefire begins in Gaza Stripbut warned attacks could resume if necessary.

The Houthis’ announcement, made in an email sent Sunday to shippers and others, likely won’t be enough to encourage global companies to resume the crucial route for shipments of goods and energy between Asia and the ‘Europe. Their attacks have halved traffic in the region, drastically reducing revenue for Egypt, which operates the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.

“The ceasefire is considered fragile,” said Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime security at BIMCO, the largest international association representing shipowners.

“It is estimated that even minor deviations from ceasefire agreements could lead to hostilities, which would then prompt the Houthis to once again direct threats against a wider range of international shipping. »

This was underlined by a broadcast speech on Monday by the Houthis’ enigmatic supreme leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

We “remain constantly ready to intervene immediately if the Israeli enemy resumes an escalation, commits acts of genocide, imposes a siege on Gaza or denies food and medicine to the people of Gaza,” al-Houthi said. “We are ready to resume escalation alongside our brothers, the fighters in Palestine”

The Houthis separately planned a military statement on Monday, likely on the decision.

The Houthis made the first announcement through their Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, saying they were “ending sanctions” against other ships they had previously targeted since November 2023.

For Israeli ships, these “sanctions (…) will end as soon as all phases” of the ceasefire are fully implemented, he adds.

However, the center remains open to renewed attacks on the United States and the United Kingdom, which have launched airstrikes targeting the rebels following their maritime assaults.

“In the event of aggression (…) sanctions will be reestablished against the aggressor state,” the center said. “You will be promptly informed of these measures if they are implemented. »

The Houthis have targeted more than 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage. The Israeli military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters but say women and children account for more than half of the dead.

The Iran-backed Houthis have seized a ship And sunk two in one campaign it also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones were either intercepted by separate US- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to hit their targets, which also included Western military ships.

The rebels have claimed they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom to force an end to the Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked had little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The pace of Houthi attacks has slowed in recent weeks, particularly involving ships at sea. This may be due in part to the US airstrikes campaign. The United States and its partners alone have struck the Houthis more than 260 times, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

However, rebels continued to launch drones and missiles against Israel, which warned it would continue to strike Houthi leaders.

Another wild card is President Donald Trump after his inauguration on Monday. It may submit a new request for designation as a foreign terrorist organization on the Houthis that President Joe Biden revokedwhich could trigger new attacks.

“The uncertainty is further exacerbated by Trump’s inauguration today,” Larsen said. “It remains unclear how the Trump administration will act in the conflict with the Houthis and whether possible punitive actions against them will be considered. »

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Associated Press writer David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this report.

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