SANAA, Yemen — The Houthi rebels in Yemen have vowed to continue targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea, even after agreeing to a ceasefire with the United States, reported by Arab News. A senior Houthi official confirmed that the ceasefire, which ended weeks of fierce U.S. airstrikes, does not apply to Israel.
“The waterways are safe for all international ships except Israeli ones,” said Abdulmalik Alejri, a member of the Houthi political bureau, in an interview with AFP. He emphasized that the deal only involves American and other ships, not Israel.
The Houthis began attacking vessels linked to Israel in November 2023, shortly after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Their attacks later expanded to include U.S. and British ships following military strikes by those countries in early 2024. Under the new agreement, the Houthis say they will now “only” target Israeli vessels.
The ceasefire was reached following deadly clashes, including an Israeli strike that destroyed key terminals at Sanaa airport. Airport officials reported around $500 million in damages.
Oman helped broker the deal, which states that neither the U.S. nor the Houthis will attack each other, allowing safer passage through the Red Sea. U.S. President Donald Trump, who plans to visit the Gulf next week, hailed the deal as a success, claiming the Houthis had “capitulated.”
However, Alejri argued that the U.S. initiated the conflict and that the Houthis only responded in defense. He pointed out that the group had not attacked American vessels until after U.S. forces struck Yemen.
The weeks of U.S. bombing raids, known as Operation “Rough Rider,” have reportedly killed 300 people and hit over 1,000 targets.
The Houthis say their campaign in the Red Sea and ongoing missile attacks on Israel are acts of solidarity with Palestinians. Their actions have severely disrupted trade, with cargo traffic on the Red Sea dropping sharply. Normally, the route carries around 12 percent of global maritime trade.
Despite the ceasefire, the conflict’s echoes continue to stir troubled waters in the region.
