DUBAI: The leader of Yemen’s Houthi group on Tuesday warned that the group will further escalate if the Israeli attacks on Gaza do not stop.
The Houthis, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea since November in solidarity with Palestinians, drawing U.S. and British retaliatory strikes since January.
The attacks are causing disruption to maritime trade in one of the world’s busiest corridors as freight firms use the Cape of Good Hope route to avoid the Suez Canal.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, in a televised speech, said the group will carry out more and more attacks if the barbaric and brutal aggression by Israel against Gaza does not stop. He also called upon Israel to end the siege of the Palestinian people from whom they deny aid and medicine.
The group’s military spokesman said, that they fired missiles at two ships in the Red Sea on Tuesday causing damage to Greek-owned Star Nasia and British-owned Morning Tide.
Spokesman Yahya Sarea said the Greek-owned, Marshall Islands flagged Star Nasia is American. Marine shipping trackers showed the ship was carrying U.S. coal to India.
In an update on Tuesday, the Gaza Strip’s Health Ministry said at least 27,585 Palestinians, mostly women, and children, had been confirmed killed in Israel’s ground and aerial strikes, with thousands more feared buried under vast tracts of rubble across the densely populated besieged enclave.
Over 107 people had been killed in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said.
