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The Houthi rebel group has threatened to attack merchant ships belonging to any company or nation that does business with Israel as part of a new phase of attacks aimed at the Jewish state.
The Iran-backed terror group said Sunday that it has “decided to escalate their military support operations and begin implementing the fourth phase of the naval blockade” against Israel.
It warned that all merchant ships, “regardless of nationality” or final destination, will be targeted along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, two major trade routes that have been plagued by the Houthis since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The rebel group called on nations that do business along the trade routes to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza and lift its aid blockade “if they want to avoid this escalation.”
The Yemen-based Houthis launched their campaign along the Red Sea, where $1 trillion worth of goods pass through each year, in November 2023 as a show of solidarity for Hamas.
Despite major airstrikes from Israel, the US and the UK aimed at its rocket launching facilities, the rebel group has managed to cause mayhem along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Earlier this month, the Houthis successfully attacked and sank two Greek-owned bulk carriers in the Red Sea, including the deadly strike on the Eternity C.
The Liberian-flagged cargo ship was besieged on July 9, with the attack killing four people after the fire and explosions caused the crew of 20 to jump overboard and spend more than 24 hours in the water before help arrived.
The attack on the Eternity C came just days after the Houthis sank the Magic Seas, another Liberian-flagged ship operating in the Red Sea.
The Houthis’ warning of escalated attacks came just two months after the rebel group reached a cease-fire deal with the US to end its shipping attacks.
The terror group, however, maintains that the agreement does not prohibit its attack on targets believed to be aligned with Israel.
With Post wires
English (US)