Houthis signal halt to Red Sea attacks as Gaza ceasefire holds
Before the war, roughly $1 trillion in goods passed through the corridor each year. Revenues from Egypt’s Suez Canal fell by about $6 billion in 2024, according to IMF estimates
Yemen’s Houthi movement has indicated it may be suspending its attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea amid a fragile truce in Gaza.
In a message addressed to Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, and circulated online, Houthi army chief of staff General Yusuf Hassan al-Madani said the group was “monitoring the situation closely” and would resume operations if Israel renewed its campaign in Gaza.
“If the enemy resumes its aggression, we will launch new operations at the heart of the Zionist entity and reinstate the ban on Israeli navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea,” al-Madani wrote.
Although the Houthis have not formally declared an end to their attacks, there have been no reported incidents since the ceasefire took effect on October 10. Israel has not commented on the apparent pause.
In September, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that any future assaults would be met with a response “seven times harder,” after a drone from Yemen struck Eilat, injuring 22 people.
Backed by Iran, the Houthis had justified their campaign as an effort to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza.
However, many of the vessels hit had limited or no connection to the conflict. Since the start of the attacks, at least nine sailors have been killed and four ships sunk, according to international monitors.
The Red Sea disruptions have taken a heavy toll on global commerce. Before the war, roughly $1 trillion in goods passed through the corridor each year. Revenues from Egypt’s Suez Canal fell by about $6 billion in 2024, according to IMF estimates. Although traffic has slightly recovered, many shipping companies continue to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the area.
The United States has launched multiple strikes on Houthi positions, including large-scale bombings of underground facilities. Meanwhile, the group has maintained its threats against Saudi Arabia and recently detained UN staff members, accusing them without evidence of espionage, claims firmly denied by the United Nations.