The militia said on Tuesday it had attacked the merchant ship MSC United and used a series of drones “against military targets” in southern Israel. The British Merchant Shipping Association had previously reported explosions near the Yemeni port of Hodeida. However, a passing ship and its crew were safe and the ship continued its journey undamaged. The Israeli army, in turn, reported intercepting an “enemy air target” over the Red Sea on the way to Israel.
Since the war between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas in the Gaza Strip began in early October, the Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked ships off the coast of Yemen. According to the US Department of Defense, the Hamas-allied rebels have so far attacked a total of ten commercial ships with drones and missiles. In order to protect merchant shipping, the USA announced the formation of an international military coalition a few days ago.
The Houthis see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel. In addition to Hamas, this also includes the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
