The Iran-backed Houthi militia that controls northern Yemen threatened on Saturday to block any vessel sailing to Israeli ports, expanding its earlier warnings to ships passing through the Red and Arabian Seas.
The Houthi militia had already threatened to target ships owned or operated by Israelis, and its fighters were still holding a commercial vessel, the Galaxy Leader, that they hijacked last month with its 25 crew members.
The statement, issued by a Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, represented a significant escalation in the militia’s campaign against Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.
The Yemeni militia “will prevent the passage of ships sailing to Israel, whatever their nationality, unless Gaza’s needs for food and medicine are met,” he added.
A video of the hijacking released by the Houthis and verified by The New York Times showed at least 10 armed men on the deck of the roughly 600-foot-long vessel after jumping out of a military helicopter hovering just above it.
The company said “the 25 crew members being held have no connection whatsoever with the current situation in the region” and encouraged nations with citizens on the captive vessel to “redouble their efforts” to secure their release.
The original article contains 560 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 64%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The Iran-backed Houthi militia that controls northern Yemen threatened on Saturday to block any vessel sailing to Israeli ports, expanding its earlier warnings to ships passing through the Red and Arabian Seas.
The Houthi militia had already threatened to target ships owned or operated by Israelis, and its fighters were still holding a commercial vessel, the Galaxy Leader, that they hijacked last month with its 25 crew members.
The statement, issued by a Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, represented a significant escalation in the militia’s campaign against Israel since the start of the war in Gaza.
The Yemeni militia “will prevent the passage of ships sailing to Israel, whatever their nationality, unless Gaza’s needs for food and medicine are met,” he added.
A video of the hijacking released by the Houthis and verified by The New York Times showed at least 10 armed men on the deck of the roughly 600-foot-long vessel after jumping out of a military helicopter hovering just above it.
The company said “the 25 crew members being held have no connection whatsoever with the current situation in the region” and encouraged nations with citizens on the captive vessel to “redouble their efforts” to secure their release.
The original article contains 560 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 64%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!