Houthis Resume Naval Blockade on Israeli Ships Amid Gaza Aid Standoff
Yemen’s Ansar Allah Movement Enforces Red Sea Ban Until Gaza Crossings Are Reopened
Watan-The Ansar Allah (Houthis) group announced on Tuesday evening that it is resuming its ban on the passage of all Israeli ships in its designated operational zone, which includes the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. The ban will remain in effect until the crossings into Gaza are reopened and humanitarian aid—including food and medicine—is allowed to enter.
The group’s military spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, stated in a Telegram post that “any Israeli ship attempting to break this blockade will be targeted in the declared operational zone.”
He explained that the decision comes in support of the Palestinian cause and its resistance fighters, following the expiration of the grace period set by Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the group’s leader. Al-Houthi had given mediators time to pressure Israel into reopening the crossings and allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Houthi Support for Palestinian Resistance and Regional Escalation
Saree praised the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, reaffirming the Houthis’ solidarity with the Palestinian resistance.
On Friday, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had issued a four-day ultimatum for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza. He warned that if Israel continued to block aid deliveries, Houthi naval operations against Israel would resume.
Since October 2023, the Houthis have launched missiles and drone attacks on Israeli targets, as well as on ships linked to Israel, the U.S., and the UK in late 2023 and early 2024. These actions were carried out in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under continuous Israeli assault with U.S. support for over 15 months. The strikes also came in response to American and British airstrikes inside Yemen, which the two allies claim were targeting Houthi military sites since January 12, 2024.
Israel Reneges on Ceasefire Deal and Escalates West Bank Crackdown
All military operations had halted following the ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas on January 19, 2025.
However, Israel later backed out of the second phase of the agreement, closed border crossings, and blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza since last week.
Additionally, Israel has continued its military campaign in the West Bank, imposing tighter restrictions on worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, maintaining the closure of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, demolishing Palestinian homes, and escalating settlement expansion and forced displacement in Tulkarm, Jenin, and Jerusalem.
