Houthi Rebels Escalate Red Sea Attacks, To Target All Ships Linked to Israeli Trade To Support Palestinians In Gaza

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have announced a sharp escalation in their maritime campaign against Israel, declaring that they will strike ships operated by any company involved with Israeli ports, regardless of nationality or destination, reported The Hindu.

This marks the start of what the group calls the “fourth phase” of its naval operation.

The Houthis said they had “decided to escalate their military support operations and begin implementing the fourth phase of the naval blockade“ against Israel as per their late Sunday (27 July) statement.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Iran-backed group has attacked dozens of merchant vessels, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Their campaign has disrupted global trade through the Red Sea, a key shipping route for around $1 trillion in annual goods flow.

The Houthis warned, “We will target all ships belonging to any company that deals with the ports of the Israeli enemy, regardless of the nationality of that company, and in any location within the reach of our armed forces.”

They added that countries must pressure Israel to stop the war in Gaza and lift its blockade on the Palestinian territory “if they want to avoid this escalation.”

Earlier this month, Houthi attacked and sank two Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ships — Magic Seas and Eternity C The second attack killed four crew members and led to 11 captives.

Between November 2023 and December 2024, Houthis struck over 100 ships using missiles and drones. A May 2025 deal with the US paused airstrikes, but the rebels reserved the right to attack Israel-linked targets.

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