A suspected missile attack by Yemen\u2019s Houthi rebels set a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday as Israel intercepted what appeared to be another Houthi attack near the port city of Eilat, authorities said. The attacks come as the rebels escalate their assaults over Israel\u2019s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n
The attack on Thursday in the Gulf of Aden saw two missiles fired, the British military\u2019s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said. It said the unnamed ship was ablaze, without elaborating. Meanwhile, sirens sounded early on Thursday morning over Eilat, followed by videos posted online of what appeared to be an interception in the sky overhead.<\/p>\n
The Israeli military later said the interception was carried out by its Arrow missile defense system. Israel did not identify what the fire was, nor where it came from. However, the Arrow system intercepts long-range ballistic missiles with a warhead designed to destroy targets while they are in space.<\/p>\n
The system \u201csuccessfully intercepted a launch which was identified in the area of the Red Sea and was en route to Israel,\u201d the Israeli military said. \u201cThe target did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat to civilians.\u201d The Houthis did not immediately claim either attack. They typically acknowledge assaults they conduct hours afterward.<\/p>\n
Eilat, on the Red Sea, is a key port city of Israel. On October 31, Houthis first claimed a missile-and-drone barrage targeting the city. The rebels have claimed other attacks targeting Eilat, which have caused no damage in the city. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over Israel\u2019s war against Hamas.<\/p>\n
They have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperilling shipping in a key route for trade among Asia, the Mideast and Europe. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo for Iran, the Houthis\u2019 main benefactor. Despite a month of US-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks.<\/p>\n
This week, they seriously damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, ships in the Red Sea off the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen reported seeing an explosion, though all vessels in the area were said to be safe, the UKTMO said. The UKMTO earlier reported heavy drone activity in the area. The US military\u2019s Central Command acknowledged shooting down a Houthi bomb-carrying drone during that time.<\/p>\n
US airstrikes separately targeted seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles and one mobile anti-ship ballistic missile prepared to target ships in the Red Sea, Central Command said. The US State Department criticised \u201cthe reckless and indiscriminate attacks on civilian cargo ships by the Houthis\u201d that have delayed humanitarian aid including food and medicine bound for Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen.<\/p>\n
That includes the Sea Champion, a ship carrying corn and other aid to both Aden and Hodeida. \u201cContrary to what the Houthis may attempt to claim, their attacks do nothing to help the Palestinians,\u201d State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. \u201cTheir actions are not bringing a single morsel of assistance or food to the Palestinian people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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