Yemen's rebel military command has indicated cessation of operations against Israel and Red Sea maritime commerce as Gaza's fragile truce persists, according to The Associated Press. Through correspondence to Hamas' Qassam Brigades published online, Maj. Gen. Yusuf Hassan al-Madani provided the clearest signal yet that strikes have ended. "We are closely monitoring developments and declare that if the enemy resumes its aggression against Gaza, we will return to our military operations deep inside the Zionist entity, and we will reinstate the ban on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas," al-Madani's letter stated. The rebels have not formally acknowledged their regional campaign has halted, The Associated Press noted. Israeli military forces, which conducted operations killing senior rebel commanders, declined Tuesday comment to The Associated Press, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz previously threatened "sevenfold" retaliation following a September drone strike on Eilat that wounded 22 people.
The organization gained international attention during the Israel-Hamas war through maritime and Israeli strikes they claimed aimed to force Israel's combat withdrawal, The Associated Press reported. Following the Oct. 10 ceasefire start, no attacks have been attributed to the group. Though rebels insisted operations focused on Israel-affiliated vessels, targeted ships demonstrated limited connection to the conflict. The campaign killed at least nine maritime personnel, sank four vessels, and disrupted Red Sea commerce previously handling approximately $1 trillion in goods annually before hostilities, The Associated Press noted. The latest strike hit Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on Sept. 29, killing one crew member and wounding another.
Egypt's Suez Canal, linking Red Sea waters to the Mediterranean, experienced severe transit disruption from the strikes, The Associated Press reported. The waterway provides critical hard currency for Egypt, generating $10 billion in 2023 as the nation's economy struggles. The International Monetary Fund noted in July that rebel operations "reduced foreign exchange inflows from the Suez Canal by $6 billion in 2024." Despite modest recent traffic increases during the attack lull, many shippers continue routing around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid Red Sea waters and the Gulf of Aden, The Associated Press noted.
US forces launched intensive bombing operations against the rebels earlier this year that President Donald Trump halted before his Middle East visit, The Associated Press reported. The Biden administration similarly conducted strikes, including deploying America's B-2 stealth bombers targeting what officials described as underground rebel facilities.
The rebels have escalated Saudi Arabia threats and detained dozens from UN agencies and aid groups as prisoners, alleging without evidence they were spies – claims fiercely denied by the UN and others, The Associated Press reported. Israeli forces previously warned of escalated responses to any renewed maritime attacks.
Shipping industry analysts project cautious resumption of Red Sea routes contingent on sustained ceasefire stability, with insurance costs and security concerns continuing to influence routing decisions, according to maritime security sources cited by The Associated Press. The rebels' conditional suspension leaves commercial shipping vulnerable to rapid campaign resumption if Gaza hostilities restart.
