Yemen’s Houthis to only target Israel-linked ships following Gaza ceasefire

Yemen's Houthi rebels have stated that if a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is fully implemented, they will limit their attacks on commercial vessels to only those with ties to Israel, potentially reducing the impact on global maritime trade that has persisted for over a year. Previously, Houthi attacks had severely disrupted global shipping.

The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), based in Sana'a, is the liaison between the Houthi rebels and commercial shipping operators. On Sunday, the center announced that they would cease "sanctions" against vessels owned by U.S. and U.K. entities, as well as those flying the flags of these two nations. In an email sent to shipping industry officials on Sunday, the center stated, "We affirm that if the United States of America, the United Kingdom, or the usurping Israeli entity launch any aggression against the Republic of Yemen, sanctions will be reimposed on the aggressors."

The HOCC indicated that the Houthis will only cease attacks on vessels linked to Israel after "all phases of the agreement are fully implemented." A Houthi spokesperson told Al Jazeera on Sunday that if the ceasefire agreement took effect on Sunday, the group would halt military operations against Israel and commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas, aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza, took effect on Sunday and will unfold in three phases over several weeks.

Since November 2023, in response to Israel's war in Gaza, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched over 100 attacks on ships, sinking two vessels and causing the deaths of at least four sailors. The Houthis have targeted the Gulf of Aden in the southern Red Sea and the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, disrupting international trade along the shortest route between Europe and Asia. Many of the world's largest shipping companies suspended voyages through the Red Sea last year and rerouted their vessels around the southern tip of Africa to avoid attacks.

Executives at retail and insurance companies told Reuters last week that they are not yet ready to return to the Red Sea due to uncertainty about whether the Houthis will continue attacking ships. Although the number of vessels attacked is low relative to traffic volume, the group's tactics have effectively increased shipping costs, including insurance and wages for seafarers working in high-risk areas. In particular, higher risk premiums mean that any vessel passing through the area will incur hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional costs for a seven-day voyage. A spokesperson for German container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said on Monday that the company is still monitoring the situation, stating, "We will return when the Red Sea is safe." Jacob Larsen, chief security officer at shipping association BIMCO, said, "Assuming the ceasefire agreement can be sustained, it is expected that shipping companies will gradually resume operations through the Red Sea."