Houthis Pause Red Sea Attacks Amid Gaza Ceasefire

Yemens Houthi rebels have signaled a pause in their attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against Israel, linking the decision to the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza that began on October 10. The Iran-backed group, which controls much of northern Yemen, conveyed this stance in a letter this week from its military chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Yusuf Hassan al-Madani, addressed to the armed wing of Hamas in Gaza.

The undated letter, published online, states that the Houthis are closely monitoring the situation in Gaza and will resume operations if aggression against Palestinians restarts. "We declare that if the enemy resumes its aggression against Gaza, we will return to our military operations deep inside the Zionist entity and reinstate the ban on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas," al-Madani wrote. While the group has not issued a formal announcement ending its campaign, the message represents the clearest indication yet of a halt, with no attacks claimed since the ceasefire took effect.

The Houthis launched their maritime campaign in late 2023, framing it as solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war in Gaza, which began after a Hamas-led assault on...