Houthis to continue attacking “Israeli” ships despite truce with US: official

“Israeli” vessels remain "subject to targeting" as they pass through waters off the coast of Yemen, including the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, despite a recently announced ceasefire agreement between the United States and Yemen’s Houthis , a senior Houthi official said Wednesday.

Read more: Oman announces US-Houthi ceasefire deal

“The maritime passages are safe for all international ships—except for Israeli ones,” said Abdul-Malik Al-Ajri, a member of the Houthis' political bureau, in an interview with AFP.

“If they pass, they may be targeted,” he warned, adding that “Israel is outside the agreement, while American and other ships are included.”

The comments come a day after Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced a ceasefire agreement between the Houthis and the United States, saying that neither side would attack the other, including American vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The announcement followed a surprise decision by former US President Donald Trump to halt American military operations against the Iranian-backed group.

Read more: “Israel” shocked at US-Houthi ceasefire deal: Hebrew media

Trump claimed the Houthis had agreed to stop their attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, declaring they had “surrendered.”

Hours before the US announcement, “Israel” launched a series of airstrikes that completely destroyed Sana’a International Airport, killing three people, according to the Houthis.

It marked the second “Israeli” strike on Yemen within 24 hours, in response to a Houthi missile attack on “Israel's” Ben Gurion Airport.

Since October 7, 2023, the Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward “Israel” in what they call a show of solidarity with Palestinians.