Houthis threaten to expand attacks on shipping in the Mediterranean

Yemen’s Houthi rebels threatened this Friday to expand their range of action to punish Israel for its offensive in the Gaza Strip and attack ships in the Mediterranean, although it is unclear whether they will have such capabilities.

The rebels’ military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, announced in a statement the official start of the “fourth phase” of the offensive, which involves the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) preparing for a large-scale attack on Israel. the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, where more than a million Palestinians are concentrated.

Claiming “intransigence towards Israeli and American enemies,” the Houthis say they are ready to continue attacking ships sailing from Yemen and extend their operations to the Mediterranean Sea and “any accessible territory,” according to a report published by Yemen’s Saba news agency.

The Houthis reserve the right to block the passage “within their zone of operations” of ships in any way associated with Israel, “regardless of their destination.”

Likewise, the spokesman indicated that “more decisive” measures would be taken if Israel’s “aggression” continued.

The rebels, allied with Iran and controlling large parts of Yemen, justify their attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, as an attempt to pressure Israel to end the war against the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which More than 34,000 people died in the enclave.

The conflict began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.

Since November, the Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on ships, seizing one vessel and sinking another, according to the US Maritime Administration.

The number of attacks has decreased in recent weeks as rebels have been the target of U.S.-led aerial bombardments in Yemen, but shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has slowed due to the threats.