Plumes of smoke rising from an explosion in Hodeidah (Al Jazeera)
Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that explosions sounded in Hodeidah, western Yemen, where media outlets affiliated with the Ansar Allah Houthi group said that the American-British bombing was renewed on the Dune area in the governorate on Monday.
Exclusive footage from Al Jazeera showed scenes of an explosion in Hodeidah, as a result of which flames and plumes of smoke rose from the site.
Houthi media said that the Dune area was subjected to two raids in the latest US-British strikes on Yemen.
Since January 12, American forces have been launching strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, and British forces have joined them.
As a result of these strikes, the Houthis began targeting American and British ships in the region, considering that the interests of both countries had become legitimate targets.
Since the escalation of the Israeli war on Gaza, the Houthis have been targeting ships owned or operated by Israeli companies, or transporting goods to and from Israel when they pass through the Red Sea, in support of the Palestinian resistance. This prompted many major shipping companies to avoid sailing through the Red Sea.
Houthi estimates of the decline in navigation
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah Channel quoted Mohammed Al-Hashemi, Deputy Minister of Transport in the government formed by the group, as saying that the movement of freight shipments through the Red Sea declined by 10%, blaming the United States and Britain for responsibility.
Al-Hashemi stated that ships and their owners receive daily threats from the American and British navies, warning them against sailing in the Red Sea.
On the other hand, the leader of the group, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, warned that Italy would become a target for Houthi attacks if it participated in the raids on Yemen.
Al-Houthi said - in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Monday - that Italy must be neutral between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and put pressure on Israel to stop its war on Gaza, stressing that this is the only way to achieve peace in the region.
This came after Italy announced - last Friday - that it would participate, with an admiral, in leading a European Union naval mission to protect ships from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell said that the goal of the mission, which will begin in mid-February, is to protect commercial ships and intercept attacks, but it will not participate in strikes against the Houthis, he said.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies