Houthis claim that they will stop attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea only when Israel ceases aggression in the Gaza Strip.
Houthis’ spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters that they would consider to stop attacks if the siege of Gaza ended and humanitarian aid was free to enter. “There will be no halt to any operations that help Palestinian people except when the Israeli aggression on Gaza and the siege stop,” he said, ahead of new reports of another suspected attack.
The attacks have had a severe impact on global trade. According to UNCTAD, ship tonnage entering the Gulf of Eden declined by over 70 per cent between the first half of December 2023 and the first half of February 2024.
Meanwhile, vessel tonnage passing through the Cape of Good Hope increased by 60 per cent. By 18 February 2024, some 621 container ships have been rerouting through the Cape of Good Hope.
In response to the heightened risks in the region, seafarers navigating the Red Sea are now benefiting from double pay agreements for entering high-risk zones, as Reuters reports. Moreover, they have gained the right to refuse sailing through the Red Sea due to the escalating dangers posed by ongoing hostilities.
The tense situation has also impacted the crew of the hijacked car carrier Galaxy Leader, owned by UK-registered Galaxy Maritime Ltd. As a response, major maritime organisations joined together to express their concern for the seafarers who have been held hostage, and call on the Houthis to release the crew of the Galaxy Leader.
Meanwhile, the fate of the abandoned cargo vessel Rubymar, struck by a Houthi missile on Feb. 18 in the southern Red Sea, remains uncertain. If it were to sink, it would mark the first sinking associated with the ongoing Houthi campaign.
