From Le Figaro with AFP
Published 3 hours ago, updated 2 hours ago
Yemeni rebels express their support for the Palestinian cause. KHALED ABDULLAH / Portal
Houthi rebels in Yemen have carried out several attacks against the Jewish state since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
A French frigate patrolling the Red Sea shot down two drones overnight that came from northern Yemen, an area under the control of Houthi rebels who are threatening to block traffic in this strategic area as part of the conflict between Israel and Hamas to disrupt the sea route. The General Staff of the Armed Forces announced in a press release that the multi-purpose frigate Languedoc, operating in the Red Sea, shot down these drones that were heading towards it.
“Intercepting and destroying these two different threats” took place on Saturday night, 110 kilometers from the Yemeni coast, near Hodeida, a port in northern Yemen that is under the control of the Houthi rebels . On Saturday he threatened to attack any ship in the Red Sea that was heading towards Israel if the population in the Gaza Strip did not receive emergency aid.
In a statement posted on social media ahead of the French announcement, the Houthis said they would “prevent the passage of ships bound for the Zionist entity” unless residents of the Palestinian territory, which has been bombarded by Israel for two months, provide further humanitarian aid Aid would be provided with relief supplies such as food and medicine.
Read alsoIsrael-Hamas war: Two out of three buildings in the northern Gaza Strip are damaged or destroyed
Hamas, a member of what it calls the “Axis of Resistance” against Israel alongside Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Houthis, welcomed the Yemeni rebels' “brave and courageous” decision. “We call on Arab and Muslim countries to use all their capabilities to lift the siege of Gaza, based on their historical responsibilities and in the spirit of chivalry,” Hamas added in that statement.
“Naval Headquarters”
This latest warning from the Houthis comes amid rising tensions in the Red Sea since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, which was triggered on October 7 after a deadly attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli soil. In retaliation, Israel bombed the Gaza Strip, which it has besieged since October 9th. Humanitarian aid is pouring in and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks of a “humanitarian nightmare context”.
But regardless of the flag the ships fly or the nationality of their owners or operators, those heading to Israel will “become a legitimate target for our forces,” the Houthis believe. Not all “vessels associated with Israel or carrying goods” to Israel are welcome in the Red Sea, a strategic area between northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, they added.
On the Israeli side, the head of the National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, denounced a “sea siege”. “If the world does not address this because it is an international problem, we will act to end this sea siege,” he warned. Last week, the Houthis attacked two ships off the Yemeni coast, including a Bahamian-flagged vessel, claiming they belonged to Israelis. An American destroyer shot down three drones last week while providing aid to merchant ships in the Red Sea that were targeted by attacks from Yemen, according to Washington, which denounced a “direct threat” to maritime security.
On November 19, the Houthis seized the merchant ship Galaxy Leader, owned by a British company owned by an Israeli businessman. The Houthis also launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel. Many devices were intercepted by Israeli or American warships.