Navigating Tensions: Ships Display ‘No Relation with Israel’ Amid Houthi Threats in the Red Sea

Watan-Arab and Western media have reported that one of the navigation ships off the coast of Djibouti has added the phrase “We have no relation with Israel” to its automatic identification panel to avoid being targeted by the Houthi rebels in Yemen while crossing the Red Sea.

Since November of last year, the Houthi group has been attacking commercial ships with drones and missiles, claiming it as a self-imposed blockade on Israel through shipping in the Red Sea due to the Israeli war and blockade on Gaza.

According to a report by Al Jazeera, the International Maritime Tracking site showed a container ship named “Kota Rahmat” carrying the flag of Singapore and an oil tanker carrying the flag of Panama, both writing the phrase “We have no relation with Israel” before sailing from Djibouti’s territorial waters and through the Bab el Mandeb strait.

On January 7, Mohammed al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council of the Iran-backed group, issued a warning that any ship passing through the Red Sea must use the phrase “We have no relation with Israel” on their identification systems.

Avoiding the Bab el Mandeb

The international naval coalition led by the United States against the Houthis issued a call for ships to avoid the Bab el Mandeb at any cost during the peak of attacks on ships, but some vessels continued to use this major trade route.

To mitigate the threat of attack, ships either turned off their identification systems or used statements distancing themselves from Israel.

In addition to this, some insurance companies refused coverage for American, British, and Israeli ships, leading many to believe that the American and British strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen had little significant impact on the group.