The Huthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, were urged by the G7 foreign ministers to stop endangering international shipping and to free a ship they had taken earlier this month.
“Emphasizing the importance of maritime security, we call on all parties not to threaten or interfere with lawful exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by all vessels,” a statement released by G7 chair Japan read.
“We especially call on the Houthis to immediately cease attacks on civilians and threats to international shipping lanes and commercial vessels and release the M/V Galaxy Leader and its crew, illegally seized from international waters on November 19,” it added.
Since Hamas militants poured into Israel on October 7, the Huthis have launched many drone and missile attacks, killing 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and capturing approximately 240 more.
The administration of Gaza, Hamas, claims that Israel’s retaliatory ground and air assault has resulted in the deaths of nearly 15,000 people, the majority of them civilians.
At the Red Sea’s mouth on November 17, Huthis took control of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which was connected to Israel, along with its twenty-five foreign crew members.
According to the Pentagon, two ballistic missiles were fired on Sunday from a region in Yemen under the control of the Huthi rebels, and they landed about ten nautical miles away from the US destroyer USS Mason.
Five armed individuals, thought to be Somalis, boarded a tanker ship off the coast of Yemen’s port city of Aden. The individuals fled in a small boat and were apprehended, according to the Pentagon, prompting the USS Mason and other ally ships to respond.
