DUBAI, February 27. /TASS/. The Houthis from the Yemeni rebel movement Ansar Allah vow to stop attacking Israeli ships when an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is reached that meets Hamas' conditions.
"The decision to hamper the passage of Israeli ships bound for ports in occupied Palestine will be revoked if an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and lifting the blockade [of the enclave] is inked on the terms of the resistance," Ansar Allah deputy spokesman Nasreddin Amer told TASS.
He also said that the Houthis would not change their decision to attack US and UK ships even if a Gaza ceasefire deal is struck. "As for attacks on American and British ships, this is a different story, which is linked with the US and UK’s participation in the aggression against our country," he stressed.
The Axios news portal reported on February 24, citing its sources, that the Paris consultations had made some headway after Israel received a proposal to declare a six-week ceasefire and release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of around 40 hostages kept by Hamas. According to Axios’ sources, this may be followed by more serious talks in the coming days. It noted that the US administration wants to reach agreements before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which begins on March 11.
Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis warned that they would launch strikes on Israeli territory while barring ships associated with the Jewish state from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceased its military operation against Palestinian radical group Hamas in the embattled enclave. Since mid-November, dozens of civilian ships have been attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In response to Ansar Allah's actions, the US authorities announced the creation of an international coalition and preparations for an operation codenamed Prosperity Guardian, expected to ensure freedom of navigation and protection of ships in the Red Sea. On January 12, US and British aircraft, ships and submarines carried out their initial attack on targets belonging to the Ansar Allah movement in a number of Yemeni cities, including Sana’a and Hodeidah. The strikes targeted the launch sites of rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as radar stations belonging to the Houthi rebels.