Al-Houthi announced the targeting of 48 ships since the start of their attacks in the Red Sea (Associated Press - Archive)

The leader of the Ansar Allah Houthi group, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said that they are heading to escalate their attacks in exchange for the Israeli escalation in Gaza, while Reuters reported that the group informed maritime insurance companies of the details of a shipping ban, amid reports of the targeting of a British ship and new American strikes on Yemen.

The Houthi leader said - in a televised speech today, Thursday - that "the operations in support of Gaza in the Red and Arabian Bahrain, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait are continuing, and we are heading towards escalation," noting that the number of ships targeted reached 48.

Al-Houthi confirmed that the group has introduced "submarine weapons" into its operations, which is disturbing to the enemy, as he put it.

The US Army had indicated a few days ago that the Houthis had used undersea drones.

The Houthi leader said that they had achieved an "information achievement" that surprised their enemies by obtaining information on the identity of the ship owners, their affiliation, and their destination. He challenged the United States to prove that the targeted ships were not of the declared classification and that they did not belong to the Americans, the British, or the Israelis.

Also in his speech, Al-Houthi said, "The maritime situation stopped 40% of the enemy's maritime commercial traffic and affected it by shrinking its economy and declining its exports and imports."

Urgent |

Mr. Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi,


the submarine force has been evacuated in our operations at sea, and this is a worrying matter for the enemy.

The danger of Yemeni torpedoes to the US Navy

The United States of America acknowledges the danger of Yemeni torpedoes to its sailors deployed in the #Red_Sea, the Gulf of #Aden, and Bab al-Mandab, which despite the difference… pic.twitter.com/0H3SKdxrw3

- Hammam Shaalan ||

H.

Shaalan (@osSWSso) February 22, 2024

He also pointed out that they had targeted sites in the occupied territories with 183 missiles and drones since the start of the war on Gaza last October.

Since the escalation of the 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.

Navigation ban

Reuters reported today that the Houthis informed marine insurance companies that ships owned wholly or partly by Israeli individuals or entities and ships flying the Israeli flag are prohibited from passing through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, as well as ships owned by American or British individuals or entities or those sailing under a flag. United States or Britain.

The agency said that it had seen the data sent by the Houthi Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center.

Meanwhile, there were reports that a British ship had been hit in a new attack and caught fire.

The British Maritime Trade Operations Authority and Ambrey Maritime Security Company reported that the British ship was attacked with two missiles southeast of the city of Aden on the southern coast of Yemen.

The British authority said that US-led forces responded to the attack, which occurred 70 nautical miles from Aden, without giving details.

The authority stated that the attack led to a fire breaking out on the deck of the ship, which Embry reported was a cargo ship flying the Palau flag and owned by a British party and was heading from Thailand to the Red Sea.

Earlier today, the French General Staff announced that a multi-tasking frigate belonging to its forces destroyed two drones launched from Yemen on Wednesday night.

Raids on Hodeidah

On the other hand, Houthi media sources said that American and British forces targeted the Al-Jabanah area, west of Hodeidah, on the western coast of Yemen, with four new raids.

The same sources reported that warplanes and spy planes continued to fly over Hodeidah Governorate.

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, stressing that the interests of both countries had become legitimate targets.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies