Houthis Narrow Attack Focus to Israel-linked Vessels

Yemen's Houthis will restrict attacks on commercial ships to those linked with Israel following the Gaza ceasefire. The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center stated in an email that assaults on vessels from the U.S., Britain, or Israel will restart if these nations resume strikes on Yemen.

Yemen's Houthi forces have announced a narrow focus for their maritime attacks, targeting only Israel-linked commercial vessels in the wake of the Gaza ceasefire. This strategic decision was communicated by the Yemen-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC).

The HOCC, which serves as a liaison between Houthi forces and commercial shipping entities, emphasized that this policy would remain in place unless the United States, Britain, or Israel resume direct military strikes on Yemen.

In an email dated January 19, the organization clarified that if any such military actions were to be undertaken by these nations, the Houthis would not hesitate to reignite attacks on vessels associated with them, marking an escalation in a tense geopolitical landscape.

(With inputs from agencies.)