Yemen’s Houthi insurgents are indicating a cessation of their assaults on Israel and maritime activities in the Red Sea as a fragile truce holds in the Gaza Strip. In an undated message to Hamas’ Qassam Brigades shared online by the group, the Houthis provided their strongest indication yet that their attacks have ceased. The letter from Maj.-Gen. Yusuf Hassan al-Madani, the Houthi military’s chief of staff, stated that they would resume military operations inside Israel and reimpose the ban on Israeli maritime traffic in the Red and Arabian Seas if Israel resumes aggression against Gaza.
The Houthis have not officially acknowledged the halt of their operations in the region. Israel’s military, responsible for targeting senior Houthi leaders in attacks, declined to comment. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz previously warned of a severe response to Houthi attacks on Israel. The Houthis gained global attention during the Israel-Hamas conflict with their assaults on ships and Israel, purportedly to pressure Israel to cease hostilities. Since the ceasefire commenced on October 10, the rebel group has not claimed any attacks.
Although the Houthis claimed to target vessels associated with Israel, the attacked ships had little to no connection to the Israel-Hamas conflict. The campaign resulted in the deaths of at least nine sailors and the sinking of four ships, disrupting Red Sea shipping, which previously facilitated around $1 trillion in goods annually. The most recent attack targeted the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht, resulting in the death of one crew member and injuring another.
The assaults significantly impacted traffic through Egypt’s Suez Canal, a vital source of revenue for Egypt. While traffic has slightly increased during the lull in attacks, many shippers opt to circumnavigate Africa via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The U.S. initiated a rigorous bombing campaign against the rebels earlier this year, which was halted by former President Donald Trump before his Middle East visit. The Biden administration also conducted strikes against the Houthis, utilizing B-2 bombers to target alleged underground bunkers utilized by the insurgents.