LONDON, November 29. /TASS/. Member states of the Group of Seven (G7) called upon Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement to refrain from attacks on civilian vessels and threats of disrupting maritime traffic in the Middle East, the group’s top diplomats said in a joint statement.

The statement, released on Tuesday by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office says: "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."

"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 19 November," the statement says.