The Houthis have officially announced that they have halted attacks against Israeli ships and lifted the so-called naval blockade on Israeli ports.
The news was officialized in a letter sent to Hamas’ military, Kata’ib al-Qassam, by the newly appointed chief of staff of the Yemeni rebels, Yousef Hassan Al-Madani, who took over from Mohammed Al-Ghamari following his death in an Israeli air strike.
“We are closely monitoring developments and declare that if the enemy resumes its aggression against Gaza, we will return to our military operations deep inside the Zionist entity, and we will reinstate the ban on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas”
Since the Gaza ceasefire began, the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for any new attacks on ships.
To date, the extremist group has been responsible for the deaths of at least nine sailors and the sinking of four ships. The constant threats to shipping in the Red Sea have forced carriers to divert to the safer route around the Cape of Good Hope, lengthening the average sailing time and consequently increasing transport costs.
