Egypt Daily News – The Houthis in Yemen indicated that they would limit themselves to targeting Israeli linked ships only in the Red Sea corridor, at a time when the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took effect.
The Yemen-based Humanitarian Coordination Center said that the Houthis will limit their attacks on commercial ships to ships linked to Israel only after the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip entered into force.
The Center, which acts as a liaison between the Houthis and commercial shipping companies, added in an email dated January 19 that if the United States, Britain, or Israel resume strikes on Yemen, attacks on ships belonging to these countries will resume.
The group’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, confirmed last Thursday that his group would continue to keep pace with the stages of implementing the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which will enter into force on Sunday.
The Houthis stated that they would stop attacking American and British ships in the Red Sea region after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, following attacks that lasted more than a year and greatly affected global trade.
According to an email from the Houthis, which was relayed by the maritime trade organization Bimco, ships belonging to US or British individuals or entities, or sailing under the flags of these countries, are no longer under threat of attack as of January 19. It is noteworthy that the Houthis previously communicated with shipping companies via email, according to a report issued by the United Nations.
For more than a year, the Houthis have been carrying out military operations against Israel using ballistic missiles and drones in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Despite Sunday’s announcement, the Yemeni armed group threatened to resume assaults on US and UK ships, if these Western countries continue to launch airstrikes against them.
“In the event of any aggression…the sanctions will be reinstated against the aggressor state,” the Houthis warned.
Houthi attacks, which have halved traffic through the Red Sea, have deeply affected Egypt’s Suez Canal revenues, a key route linking Asia and Europe. This has affected Egypt with a 7 billion dollar loss during 2024.