The Houthis have said that if current aid cannot reach Gaza, attacks may escalate. The situation is not optimistic if this continues. Israeli officials said that if the international community does not take measures against the Houthis, Israel will take action itself. On the evening of December 9, local time, the Houthi armed forces in Yemen issued a statement stating that if food and medicine cannot enter the Gaza Strip, any ship heading to Israel will become a legitimate target of attack by the organization’s armed forces. In other words, all ships bound for Israel are likely to be attacked indiscriminately. The organization also warned that all international shipping companies should avoid transactions with Israeli ports due to safety concerns on maritime navigation. This is a very urgent and difficult emergency situation for various shipping companies. Shipping companies, especially those with ships recently en route to Israel, should approach this issue with particular caution. In response to this issue, representatives from all parties expressed their attitudes and hoped to reduce their losses as soon as possible.
A spokesman for the Houthi armed forces in Yemen said that the Houthi armed forces successfully implemented the decision to prevent Israeli ships from sailing in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. However, as Israel continues its operations in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have announced that if the Gaza Strip does not receive the food and medicine needed by the local people, the Houthis will prohibit any ship bound for Israel from sailing in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. This ban will apply to any ship operated by a shipping company of any nationality and will be implemented without discrimination. The Houthis reiterated their stance on ensuring the security of all ships from all countries to ensure the smooth passage of global trade in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. However, they also made it clear that any vessels belonging to Israel or transporting goods to Israeli ports would not be covered by this protection. In other words, many ships in global trade are protected, but ships belonging to Israel or ships transporting goods to Israel will not be protected.
In order to maintain the safety of maritime navigation, all international shipping companies and ships are hereby warned to avoid any form of transactions with Israeli ports. This is what the Houthis declared to the outside world, and they immediately began to implement it. The Times of Israel reported that U.S. or other military forces have no authority to accompany Israeli ships or ships heading to Israel. Operating from bases along the coast of Yemen, the Houthis cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and are able to threaten shipping in the Red Sea. The United States has been consulting with Gulf allies on possible military action against Houthi attacks. The negotiations are still at a preliminary stage. It is still unknown what measures each country will take in the future, but each country and major shipping companies should take timely measures to make some remedies. This kind of emergency situation that is likely to affect the safety of crew and cargo is something that every shipping company is very reluctant to see. Those who ship goods recently should be careful and try to avoid being involved in any conflicts. In the end, the best result is that the goods arrive at the destination on time and at the original price. There have indeed been many emergencies in the world in the past two years. Shippers and shipping companies should pay close attention to the international political and economic situation to prevent unnecessary losses.
