In a daring move, Yemen's Houthi group claimed responsibility on Sunday for targeting two Israeli ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, situated in the Red Sea. The group utilized a naval missile and a drone in the attack, specifically targeting the vessels named Unity Explorer and Number Nine, according to spokesman Yahya Saree of the Yemeni Armed Forces.
Saree emphasized that the targeting operation was a response to the Israeli ships ignoring warning messages from the Yemeni Naval Forces. He further declared the Yemeni Armed Forces' commitment to preventing Israeli ships from navigating in the Red and Arabian Seas until what they referred to as the "Israeli aggression" against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip ceases.
The spokesperson reiterated a warning to all Israeli ships, or those associated with Israelis, stating that they would be considered legitimate targets if they violated the directives outlined in the statement and previous ones issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces.
As of now, there has been no official response from Israel regarding the Houthi statement. The Houthi group had previously announced its intention to target Israeli ships in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
These naval operations coincide with Israel's continuous air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, initiated after the Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border attack against Israel on October 7. Despite a week-long humanitarian pause, the Israeli army resumed bombing the Gaza Strip, resulting in a substantial toll on the Palestinian side.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 509 Palestinians have been killed and 1,316 injured since the resumption of Israeli airstrikes on Friday. The death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since the conflict began on October 7 has now reached 15,523, with 41,316 reported as wounded. In contrast, the official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.
News ID : 2662