Yemen's Houthi anti-government group says it has launched missile attacks on two cargo ships bound for Israel.
The group made the announcement on Friday in footage on social media. A spokesperson said the group will continue to prevent movement by all ships heading to Israeli ports until the people in the Gaza Strip receive the food and medicine they need.
The ship tracking website, Marine Traffic, says the two targeted ships are Liberian-flagged.
The Houthi group has repeatedly stated that it attacked Israeli vessels in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and nearby waters. The strait is the pathway to enter the Red Sea.
The threat of attack is prompting major shipping companies to suspend their navigation in and around the Red Sea.
Media outlets such as Reuters news agency reported that Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk decided on Friday to temporarily halt all shipments through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. In its statement, the company said the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers.
German shipping firm Hapag Lloyd also said on Friday that it is pausing its ships through the Red Sea until Monday.
The route through the Red Sea, leading to the Suez Canal, is one of the important shipping lanes in the world. About 10 percent of the world's trade volume and about 17,000 vessels pass through every year.
Ships need to travel much longer to take any alternative route, such as going around southern Africa.
The group made the announcement on Friday in footage on social media. A spokesperson said the group will continue to prevent movement by all ships heading to Israeli ports until the people in the Gaza Strip receive the food and medicine they need.
The ship tracking website, Marine Traffic, says the two targeted ships are Liberian-flagged.
The Houthi group has repeatedly stated that it attacked Israeli vessels in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and nearby waters. The strait is the pathway to enter the Red Sea.
The threat of attack is prompting major shipping companies to suspend their navigation in and around the Red Sea.
Media outlets such as Reuters news agency reported that Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk decided on Friday to temporarily halt all shipments through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. In its statement, the company said the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the area pose a significant threat to the safety and security of seafarers.
German shipping firm Hapag Lloyd also said on Friday that it is pausing its ships through the Red Sea until Monday.
The route through the Red Sea, leading to the Suez Canal, is one of the important shipping lanes in the world. About 10 percent of the world's trade volume and about 17,000 vessels pass through every year.
Ships need to travel much longer to take any alternative route, such as going around southern Africa.
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Summary
Houthi group in Yemen claimed missile attacks on two cargo ships bound for Israel via the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The targeted vessels are Liberian-flagged, as reported by Marine Traffic. Shipping companies like A.P. Moller-Maersk and Hapag Lloyd have temporarily halted navigation in the Red Sea due
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ID: 57da7509-2614-47df-948c-bfc1a69aa3f4
Category ID: nhk
URL: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231216_14/
Date: Dec. 16, 2023
Created: 2023/12/17 06:30
Updated: 2025/12/08 20:08
Last Read: 2023/12/17 10:19