SANAA

Yemen’s Houthi group said Sunday that it had allowed 64 ships to navigate the Red Sea safely after raising a banner disavowing any links with Israel.

“The simplest solution that allows ships to pass safely while crossing the Red Sea is to raise a sign reading ‘We have no relation to Israel’,” group member Mohamed Ali al-Houthi said in a statement.

​​​​​​​“This solution was effective as 64 ships have managed to cross the sea safely while raising this sign,” he added.

Tensions have escalated in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having links with Israel.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 25,100 people since an Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas.

The US and UK launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in recent days in retaliation for the attacks, which have created fears of a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments. It is used to transit between Egypt's Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden, allowing ships to avoid the much costlier and longer route across the southern coast of Africa.