Sanaa (South24 Center)

On Sunday, July 27, Yemen’s Houthi group announced a new escalation in its maritime campaign, launching what it called the "fourth phase" of its naval blockade against Israel. The group vowed to target any vessel operated by companies dealing with Israeli ports, regardless of nationality or destination.

In a televised statement, the group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, declared, "Our forces will strike such ships wherever they can be reached", urging international companies to immediately cease dealings with Israeli ports to avoid attacks.

The Houthis clarified that this escalation falls under what they term as their support operations for Gaza. They asserted that their maritime attacks will cease only if Israel halts its military operations and lifts the blockade on the Gaza Strip.

This announcement follows a series of attacks claimed by the group on targets inside Israel throughout July. On July 18, the Houthis announced firing a ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion International Airport, which Israel confirmed intercepting, with no casualties.

Prior to that, the Houthis had claimed drone and missile attacks targeting Israeli cities, including Ashdod, Eilat, and Tel Aviv, most of which Israel stated it had successfully intercepted.

The latest declaration comes days after their maritime escalation in the Red Sea in early July. On July 6, the Houthis carried out a four-hour attack on the ’Magic Seas’, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier owned by a Greek company transporting fertilizer and steel from China to Turkey.

The assault involved explosive-laden drone boats, missiles, drones, and RPGs, culminating in the vessel’s sinking. The 22 crew members were rescued by a passing UAE vessel. The Houthis later released propaganda footage showing the explosions on the ship and its sinking.

On July 7 and 8, the Houthis attacked another Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned ship ‘Eternity C’ in the Red Sea, with advanced weaponry, including maritime drones, unmanned boats, and RPGs. The assault led to sinking of the ship, the deaths of four crew members and injuries to at least two others.

The U.S. accused the Houthis of holding several of the 25 crew members hostage while ten others were rescued. These deadly maritime attacks were the first by the Houthis after a long gap. The last such attack by the group was in November 2024, when the Houthis for unclear reasons paused targeting commercial vessels.

Since late 2023, Houthi maritime attacks have disrupted Red Sea navigation, forcing major shipping firms to reroute and driving up global insurance and transport costs.

The Houthis have progressively escalated their campaign, from exclusively targeting Israeli-owned ships to those linked to Israel, and then vessels en route to Israeli ports. Their announcement of the fourth phase now encompasses ships of any company dealing with Israeli ports.

This announcement places a significant portion of commercial shipping at risk, even vessels carrying cargo unrelated to Israel.