Houthis only attack Israeli ships after Gaza deal

The Houthi rebels will henceforth limit their attacks on shipping traffic in the Red Sea to Israeli-affiliated vessels. This was announced by the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre (HOCC), following the conclusion of the Gaza deal. However, they do stipulate as a condition that the ceasefire is fully implemented, Reuters reports.
The Yemeni HOCC informed that it is discontinuing ‘sanctions’ against vessels owned by US or UK persons or entities, as well as vessels sailing under their flag. However, ‘in the event of aggression against the Republic of Yemen by the United States of America, the United Kingdom or the Israeli entity, sanctions will be reinstated against the aggressor,’ the HOCC said in an e-mail dated 19 January to shipping industry officials.
More than a hundred attacks
Many of the world’s largest shipping companies no longer sail via the Red Sea for fear of Houthi attacks. They prefer a route via southern Africa. The Iran-backed Houthis have already carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023. In these, two ships were sunk, another seized and at least four sailors killed. The rebels are targeting the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, linked by the narrow strait of Bab al-Mandab, a junction between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.
Not yet ready for return on Red Sea
However, executives from the shipping, insurance and retail sectors do not dare return to the Red Sea trade route at the moment. They told Reuters they were not yet ready to do so because of the uncertainty over the HOCC’s promise. A spokesman for the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd informed Reuters on Monday that the company was closely monitoring the situation, adding: ‘We will return to the Red Sea when it is safe to do so.’ Insurers are also waiting to see whether war risk premiums can already be reduced.
Credibility undermined
Such reticence is understandable, as the Houthis also attacked ships in recent months based on outdated information, argues Jakob Larsen, chief safety & security officer at shipping organisation BIMCO. ‘They have also made several false claims of successful attacks, which has somewhat undermined their credibility. Assuming the ceasefire holds and the US also refrains from using force, shipping companies are expected to gradually resume operations through the Red Sea,’ Larsen said.