Yemen's Houthis took control of a cargo ship with ties to Israel in the vital Red Sea shipping route, taking 25 of the crew hostage. The development have sparked concern that the region's already high tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict are spilling over onto the sea, according to officials, media reported.
The Houthis claimed that because of the ship's connection to Israel, they took control of it and that they would keep attacking ships in international waters that are either owned or connected to Israel until Tel Aviv's campaign against Hamas, the group that rules Gaza, comes to an end.
The Houthis declared, "all ships that are owned by the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets."
The Houthis are a large clan that originated in Yemen's northwest Saada province. Thirty-five percent of Yemen's population is Zaydi, who practice the Zaydi interpretation of Shiism.
For over 10 years,
Yemen’s government and Houthi rebels have been clashing. Since 2011, the Houthi movement has grown to be a larger opposition movement to the central government, moving beyond its Zaydi origins. Additionally, the rebels have started calling themselves Ansarullah, or the “Party of God”.
Yemeni politics are intricate and frequently beset by revolving
domestic and regional alliances. In the 1990s, the Houthi movement arose in northern Yemen partly in response to the growing religious and financial power of Saudi Arabia.
Scholars, Arab media pundits and government representatives have frequently depicted the Yemeni conflict as a component of a broader conflict between Saudi Arabia and
Iran over regional hegemony.Houthi missile attacks against Saudi Arabia increased in frequency in 2018. The group's selection of targets also became more audacious. In July 2018, it caused damage to a Saudi oil tanker. The conflict intensified what the UN referred to as the "worst humanitarian crisis on earth." According to a UN report, over 23 million people, or
80% of Yemen's population, required humanitarian aid and protection.
The Houthis took credit for drone strikes on two significant Saudi oil installations on September 14, 2019. However, there were claims that Iran, not Yemen, was the attack's original source. But in a tweet,
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denied the allegations.
The Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson wrote on
X, "the international community should put an end to
Israel's aggression against Gaza if it is concerned about regional security and stability, rather than expanding the conflict."
After a Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October, which prompted an Israeli ground and air offensive on Gaza, the Houthis have launched multiple missile and drone attacks against Israel.
Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait could be targets, according to the Houthis. Saree reiterated her warning that Houthi forces would have every right to target any ship that is owned by Israel or one that supports it.
"We confirm our continuation of military operations against [Israel] until the aggression and ugly crimes against our
Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank stop," Saree declared.
Israel is not involved in the ownership, management, or composition of the ship's international crew, according to a statement released by the office of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Meanwhile, Israel has claimed that the attack was an “Iranian act of terrorism" with ramifications for global maritime security. However,
Iran denied the Israeli allegations on Monday.