Deadline Expires: ‘Israeli’ Ships Banned from the Sea

By Ali Al-Darwani

With the expiration of the four-day deadline set by Sayyed Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi for mediators to pressure the "Israeli" entity into lifting the blockade on Gaza and allowing humanitarian aid, the Yemeni Armed Forces have announced that the ban on "Israeli" ships is now in effect. The prohibition includes enemy navigation in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

With this announcement, the Yemeni Armed Forces return to the early phases of supporting Gaza, during which they disrupted "Israeli" navigation by escorting the vessel Galaxy Leader to Yemeni waters. Subsequent naval operations disabled the port of “Eilat” [formerly Umm Al-Rashrash], significantly reducing the number of commercial ships docking at other ports. This was particularly true for vessels arriving from the east, which were forced to detour around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. These disruptions have inflicted substantial losses on the "Israeli" entity due to increased transportation and insurance costs, in addition to longer delivery times.

It appears that the “Israeli” enemy—hearing serious Arab warnings for the first time—will now have to grow accustomed to such threats. In its support operations for Gaza, the Yemeni Armed Forces have demonstrated a high level of readiness. This was reaffirmed by Major General Al-Atafi, the Yemeni Minister of Defense, who stressed that they are fully prepared to meet their responsibilities.

Before the Gaza ceasefire, Yemeni forces had already achieved significant tactical and military advancements. This time, it is expected that their experience will translate into more effective, lethal, and sophisticated operations, likely involving new and improved weaponry in terms of range, accuracy, and potentially even type. The introduction of advanced drones and missile systems is anticipated, with the Yemeni Armed Forces having used the nearly two-month ceasefire period to upgrade their military arsenal both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Although the Yemeni warning was clear and specific about resuming naval operations, the enemy entity has heightened its state of alert, discussing potential strikes on its own heartland. It has also implemented various defensive measures, such as disabling GPS to disrupt Yemeni missiles and drones, as well as increasing aerial patrols to monitor and intercept them.

The Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” quoted "Israeli" sources stating that there is close coordination with the US Central Command [CENTCOM] to counter this scenario. The report also suggested that "Israel" is counting on a "much harsher" American response against what they call the Ansarullah, in contrast to the policies seen under President Biden.

The newspaper recalled that the Trump administration had blacklisted the Ansarullah and imposed sanctions on their senior leaders during the first month of his presidency. It also noted the failure of both the US and Britain to halt Yemeni naval operations—whether against "Israeli" commercial ships or in direct confrontations with American and British naval forces. This failure forced the US and UK to replace their aircraft carriers under the pressure of Yemeni missile strikes, fearing they would be targeted.

This new phase of support for Gaza differs in several aspects, particularly in its objectives. It offers mediators a means to exert pressure on the enemy entity to engage seriously in negotiations for the second phase of agreements and to fully comply with the humanitarian provisions of the first phase. YA newspaper claimed that the Yemeni operations were carried out at Hamas’s request, framing them within a broader strategy to unify the fronts against the Zionist entity.