The Houthis of Yemen said on Tuesday that they will only reevaluate their drone and missile strikes on foreign ships in the Red Sea if Israel stops its “aggression” in the Gaza Strip.
When asked whether the strikes would stop if a truce was struck, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters that if the embargo of Gaza was lifted and humanitarian assistance was allowed to enter, the situation would be reevaluated.
He said, “There will be no halt to any operations that help Palestinian people except when the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the siege stop,” in reference to recent claims of yet another alleged strike.
Greek-owned bulk carrier flying the Marshall Islands flag reported in an alert letter on Tuesday that a missile had struck the ocean three nautical miles from the ship, which was situated 63 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, Yemen.
In a notice about the event, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also said that the crew and the vessel were reported safe and were en route to their next port of call.
When the missile was seen, Ambrey claimed, there was a chemical/products tanker owned by the UAE and flying the Panamanian flag about two nautical miles distant.
The Houthi’s Al-Masira television said late on Tuesday that the US and the UK had jointly carried out two attacks over Hodeidah, Yemen’s oldest port city, in what looks to be a similar incident.
Since November, the Houthis have launched many attacks in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, which they claim are acts of solidarity with the Palestinian people against Israel in the Gaza War. As a result, shipping dangers have increased.
Leading international container line Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) gave customers advice on Tuesday, telling them to factor in lengthier transit times when planning their supply chains and to be ready for Red Sea delays that may last into the second half of the year.
Seafarers have the right to decline to sail on ships that are traveling through the Red Sea, and they have signed agreements to get double pay when they reach high-risk zones. Nevertheless, they are still in the firing line.
The owners of the car carrier Galaxy Leader, which the Houthis took over on November 19 along with its 25 crew members, are Galaxy Maritime Ltd., a UK-registered company. On Tuesday, the company said that the mariners from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Mexico, Romania, and the Philippines had “nothing whatsoever to do with the conflict in the Middle East”.
“Families of those being detained are now calling on the international community to take action to secure the immediate release of the crew,” Galaxy Maritime said in a statement.
At a meeting, Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the United Nations, urged for the release of the Galaxy Leader and “collective action to fortify the safety of those at sea.”
The Houthis, who rule over the most populated areas of Yemen, have officially informed insurance and maritime authorities that they have banned ships with ties to the US, UK, and Israel from operating in the nearby waters.
In a letter sent to IMO member nations on February 15, Yemen’s officially recognized government said that it had “warned of the danger of the Houthi militia” and that the organization had “continued to randomly plant sea mines” in addition to utilizing drone boats and missiles.
The abandoned cargo ship Rubymar was found to be leaking gasoline after it was struck by a Houthi missile in the southern Red Sea on February 18. Its fate remained unknown. The boat was still underwater. Should it sink, it would be the first incident connected to the current Houthi campaign.
On Monday, the ship’s chartering broker informed Reuters that the vessel intended to deploy a work ship to seal an opening left by the Houthi missile. On Tuesday, there was no update.