The establishment of an international coalition to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea will not affect the decision of the Houthis from Yemen's rebel Ansar Allah movement to attack commercial ships linked to Israel. The movement's spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam told TASS.
"Our position on the Palestinian issue will not change, regardless of whether a naval coalition is established or not. We will continue to support the oppressed Palestinian people," he said, commenting on US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's announcement of his intention to conduct a naval security operation in the Red Sea.
As the Ansar Allah spokesman emphasized, the Houthi attacks on commercial ships "are neither a show of force nor a challenge to anyone," as they are "aimed solely at supporting the Palestinian people in confronting Israeli aggression and the blockade of the Gaza Strip."
Abdel Salam also assured that the transportation routes through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are safe "for all vessels except Israeli ones." "There was no need for the formation of a naval coalition under the auspices of the United States. <...> The purpose of this alliance is not to secure international waters, but to protect Israeli ships," he added.
According to a statement released by Austin on Monday, US authorities and a number of other nations intend to launch an operation in the Red Sea to ensure freedom of navigation and ship security in light of the Houthi attacks.
Participants in the operation are to include Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, Spain, the UK and the UK.
Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, Yemen's Houthi rebels have declared that they will strike Israeli territory and prevent associated ships from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the operation in the Palestinian enclave is halted.
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Based on materials from TASS