Houthis sink a commercial ship in the Red Sea and kidnap at least six crew members

BarcelonaA Houthi attack in the Red Sea sank a Liberian-flagged cargo ship owned by a Greek shipowner and bound for Israel on Wednesday morning, killing at least four sailors, according to maritime authorities, while rescue efforts continue to find 15 missing people. So far, six crew members have been rescued alive.Eternity C, who had spent more than 24 hours in the water, and who have been detained by the militia. The Houthis said they attacked the boat with 45 hypersonic and ballistic missiles, maritime and aerial drones, and speedboats, in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza, to prevent it from reaching an Israeli port. Since the Israeli genocide began in the Strip, the Houthis They threatened commercial vessels in the Red Sea destined for Israel and also attacked Tel Aviv. This Thursday, pro-Iranian militias also launched two missiles at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main airport, which were intercepted by air defenses.

It is unclear what will happen to the crew now. The US mission in the country has accused the Houthis of "kidnapping many of the surviving crew members" and called for their unconditional release. The crew of another ship attacked by pro-Iranian militias were held for a year. The group's spokesman, Yahya Saree, said they "rescued some of the crew members and provided them with medical attention before transferring them to a safe haven."

Major shipping industry associations, including the International Chamber of Shipping, issued a joint statement on Wednesday denouncing the latest deadly attack on a cargo ship and calling for robust maritime security in the region. "These ships have been attacked with callous disregard for the lives of innocent civilian mariners," the statement said. "This tragedy underscores the need for nations to maintain robust support to protect vital shipping and seaways."

Renewed Threat

This is the second ship attacked by the Yemenis in a week, after the Magic Seas, last Sunday. On that occasion, the entire crew was rescued. Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi reiterated in a televised address that "the decision to ban the Israeli enemy from sailing in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea is a continuous decision at all stages." He also declared that they are prepared to continue the attacks "as long as the aggression and siege of Gaza continues" and shipping companies violate the ban on doing business at the port of Umm al-Rashrash. "They mistakenly believed it could be ignored," al-Houthi added.

Thus the Houthis they reactivate the campaign to demand an end to the bombing of Gaza, which between November 2023 and December 2024 had led to more than 100 attacks on ships on the Red Sea trade route. In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the militia, which agreed to halt a bombing campaign against them in exchange for an end to attacks on ships, with the exception of those destined for Israel. After the attack on Magic Seas The Houthis declared all ships belonging to companies with ties to Israel "legitimate targets" and vowed to "prevent Israeli navigation in the Red Sea as long as the aggression against Gaza continues and until the blockade" of the Strip is lifted.

The Gaza conflict spills back into the Red Sea on the same day that Hamas announced its willingness to release ten hostages in exchange for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. that includes the resumption of humanitarian aid to the Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. US President Donald Trump, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, also said there was a "good chance" of reaching an agreement next week. But Israeli attacks on the Strip continue unabated, and on Wednesday alone, at least 74 Palestinians were killed.