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Yemen Online
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yemen Online
HRW says Houthi cargo ship attacks amount to war crimes
Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned Yemen's Houthi group for deadly attacks that sank two commercial vessels this month, calling them violations of the laws of war. The Houthis struck the Magic Seas and Eternity C cargo ships in the Red Sea, part of a campaign against maritime traffic they accuse of having links to Israel, launched over the Gaza war. Fifteen people -- including four confirmed dead -- remain missing after the July 7 attack on the Eternity C. The Yemeni rebels claimed to have "rescued" an unspecified number of crew, whose whereabouts are still unknown. The attacks were "violations of the laws of war amounting to war crimes", Human Rights Watch said in a statement, adding it found "no evidence that the ships were military targets". "They deliberately attacked commercial vessels that could clearly be identified as civilian," the New York-based group said, adding that "detaining rescued crew members is also prohibited". Rebel leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi justified the attacks, saying both ships belonged to companies serving Israeli ports. But HRW said the ships had no connection to Israel and were not heading there. The Magic Seas was en route to Turkey from China carrying fertiliser and steel billets when it was attacked on July 6. The Eternity C was heading to Saudi Arabia from Somalia after delivering humanitarian aid for the United Nations World Food Programme. "The Houthis have sought to justify unlawful attacks by pointing to Israeli violations against Palestinians," said Niku Jafarnia, HRW's Yemen and Bahrain researcher. "The Houthis should end all attacks on ships not taking part in the conflict and immediately release the crew members in their custody," she added. Since November 2023, the rebels have carried out more than 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre, run by a Western naval coalition. HRW said it had previously found those actions to be war crimes. It also warned of environmental risks, citing findings by Wim Zwijnenburg of Dutch peace organisation PAX. Zwijnenburg said satellite imagery showed large oil slicks trailing from the sites where both vessels sank, threatening wildlife in a protected nature reserve off Eritrea's coast.
Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
HRW says Houthi cargo ship attacks amount to war crimes - Region
Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned Yemen's Houthi group for deadly attacks that sank two commercial vessels this month, calling them violations of the laws of war. The Houthis struck the Magic Seas and Eternity C cargo ships in the Red Sea, part of a campaign against maritime traffic they accuse of having links to Israel, launched over the Gaza war. Fifteen people -- including four confirmed dead -- remain missing after the July 7 attack on the Eternity C. The Yemeni rebels claimed to have "rescued" an unspecified number of crew, whose whereabouts are still unknown. The attacks were "violations of the laws of war amounting to war crimes", Human Rights Watch said in a statement, adding it found "no evidence that the ships were military targets". "They deliberately attacked commercial vessels that could clearly be identified as civilian," the New York-based group said, adding that "detaining rescued crew members is also prohibited". Rebel leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi justified the attacks, saying both ships belonged to companies serving Israeli ports. But HRW said the ships had no connection to Israel and were not heading there. The Magic Seas was en route to Turkey from China carrying fertiliser and steel billets when it was attacked on July 6. The Eternity C was heading to Saudi Arabia from Somalia after delivering humanitarian aid for the United Nations World Food Programme. "The Houthis have sought to justify unlawful attacks by pointing to Israeli violations against Palestinians," said Niku Jafarnia, HRW's Yemen and Bahrain researcher. "The Houthis should end all attacks on ships not taking part in the conflict and immediately release the crew members in their custody," she added. Since November 2023, the rebels have carried out more than 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre, run by a Western naval coalition. HRW said it had previously found those actions to be war crimes. It also warned of environmental risks, citing findings by Wim Zwijnenburg of Dutch peace organisation PAX. Zwijnenburg said satellite imagery showed large oil slicks trailing from the sites where both vessels sank, threatening wildlife in a protected nature reserve off Eritrea's coast. Oil was also reportedly washing ashore near a fishing community, he was quoted as saying. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
NDTV
11-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Explained: What Is At Stake After Yemen's Houthis Resume Red Sea Attacks
Yemen's Houthi rebels have resumed their attacks on Red Sea shipping, saying they aim to force Israel to cease fire in Gaza -- a move that threatens a truce with Washington and rattles maritime trade. The Iran-backed rebels allege that the two vessels they attacked earlier this week -- the Magic Seas and the Eternity C -- were linked to trade with Israel. But their renewed campaign comes at a pivotal moment when Washington and Tehran are weighing talks following a devastating 12-day Iran-Israel war, while Hamas and Israel are holding truce negotiations in Qatar. What's at stake for the rebels and why have they decided to resume attacks after a gap of more than six months? Why Now? The rebels, who have also mounted direct attacks on Israel, have launched more than 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre run by Western navies. They paused their attacks during a short-lived Gaza truce earlier this year before renewing them last weekend. The rebels say their aim is to support Palestinians in Gaza. Their political leader, Mahdi al-Mashat, told Hamas negotiators in Doha to "negotiate with your heads held high, for we are with you and all the resources of our people will support you" until the war ends. But analysts say their resumption of attacks goes beyond support for Gaza. It comes shortly after Iran fought a devastating war with Israel without support from its allies in the so-called "axis of resistance", which also includes Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah. "This is a reminder from the Revolutionary Guard, through its most important ally (the Houthis), that what was withheld in the previous round (of fighting), if repeated, can be activated," said the chairperson of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, Maged al-Madhaji. Noam Raydan, who tracks maritime attacks for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the Houthis had continued to monitor ship movements throughout the pause in attacks. "They've ensured that their presence is always felt", she said. What Are They Hoping To Achieve? Although Iran is their main backer, the Houthis are not just a Tehran proxy: they have ambitions of their own and dreams of a broader regional role. Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at British think tank Chatham House, described the attacks as a "power move" that enabled the Houthis to "project more power regionally and internationally". Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon have severely weakened both Hamas and Hezbollah, leaving the Houthis as the only member of the "axis of resistance" to emerge relatively unscathed. The rebels have endured repeated air strikes by Israel in response to their drone and missile attacks. Washington too carried out an intensive bombing campaign earlier this year before agreeing to cease fire in May in return for an end to Houthi attacks on international shipping. "While the US campaign badly hit the Houthis' communication and some military capabilities, they still have huge stock and rebuilt their communications quickly," said Muslimi, adding that their maritime power "has been booming". He said that in comparison with their attacks on Israel, which had had only limited success, the Houthis' attacks on shipping had proved "a very efficient way to make the entire West, and most of the east, bleed." What Are The Risks? The Houthis' campaign has caused major disruption to the vital shipping lane through the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea that normally carries about 12 percent of global trade. With insurance premiums skyrocketing, many shipping firms have opted to make the time-consuming detour around the southern tip of Africa instead. "Transit via the Bab al-Mandeb strait remains low compared to 2023 - a drop by over 50 percent," Raydan told AFP. She said the rebels had taken advantage of a decreased naval presence in the area to mount their attacks. "The Houthis appear to have more freedom now to assault freedom of navigation," she said. The future of a fragile ceasefire with the United States meant to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea is now uncertain. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called for action to stop further Houthi attacks. "If the Houthis are not confronted, this problem will only grow," he warned.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
The Huthis' most dangerous Red Sea attacks on commercial ships
Yemen's Huthis had paused their Red Sea attacks on commercial ships, carried out in solidarity with Gaza, for months, before claiming two fresh assaults in recent days, one of them deadly. The Iran-backed rebels have carried out more than 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the start of their campaign in November 2023, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre, run by a Western naval coalition. Here are the most significant attacks by the Huthis, who say they have targeted ships linked to Israel, after briefly also striking ships with links to its Western allies the United States and Britain. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo - Eternity C - On July 7, a day after attacking the Magic Seas, the Huthis targeted another cargo ship, the Eternity C, for two consecutive days, sinking it and forcing the crew to abandon ship. Live Events Operation Aspides -- the EU naval task force in the Red Sea -- said 10 people had been rescued while others remain missing, including three dead. The rebels said they "rescued" an unspecified number of people aboard the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, with the United States accusing them of kidnapping the seafarers. - Magic Seas - On July 6, the Huthis attacked and sunk the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged Magic Seas -- their first such assault in 2025 after more than six months of interruption. All 22 crew members were rescued after they were forced to abandon ship. The rebels released a propaganda video showing masked, armed men storming the Magic Seas and simultaneous explosions that sank the bulk carrier. - Sounion - In August 2024, the Huthis struck the Greek-flagged Sounion oil tanker carrying more than a million barrels of oil off Hodeida, causing a fire and cutting engine power. The crew, 23 Filipinos and two Russians, were rescued the next day by a French frigate operating under the Aspides naval mission. It was eventually towed away and made safe, but had the Sounion broken up or exploded, it could have caused an oil spill four times larger than that caused by the Exxon Valdez in 1989 off Alaska, experts said at the time. - Tutor - In June 2024, the Huthis attacked the Tutor, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned merchant ship, killing a Filipino sailor. The vessel, hit off Hodeida, suffered serious flooding and was abandoned before it eventually sank. - True Confidence - In March 2024, three crew were killed and four wounded when a Huthi missile struck the True Confidence merchant vessel, the first fatal attack of the rebels' campaign. The Indian Navy rescued 21 of the crew aboard the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned ship, including 13 Filipinos, and took them to Djibouti. The ship, which suffered serious damage, was towed to the port of Al-Duqm in Oman. - Rubymar - In February 2024, the Rubymar, a cargo ship carrying 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertiliser, was hit by a Huthi missile, causing serious damage and forcing the evacuation of its crew to Djibouti. Less than two weeks later, on March 2, the Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated vessel went down south of the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago, in the first known sinking from the attacks. - Galaxy Leader - The Huthis stormed and hijacked a vehicle-carrier, the Galaxy Leader, in November 2023, detaining its 25 international crew for more than a year. The rebels opened the ship as an attraction for Yemeni tourists who were invited to visit the captured vessel, which was by then flying Yemeni and Palestinian flags off the rebel-held province of Hodeida. The Bahamas-flagged, British-owned Galaxy Leader is operated by a Japanese firm but has links to Israeli businessman Abraham "Rami" Ungar. In July, Israel carried out a wave of strikes on Hodeida, striking the Galaxy Leader, which they said had been outfitted with a radar system to track shipping in the Red Sea.
Kuwait Times
10-07-2025
- Kuwait Times
4 killed as Houthis sink another ship in Red Sea attack
ATHENS: Rescuers pulled six crewmembers alive from the Red Sea on Wednesday and 19 were still missing from the second of two ships sunk in recent days in attacks claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels after months of calm. Four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C cargo ship were killed before the rest of the crew abandoned the vessel, which sank on Wednesday morning after being attacked on Monday and Tuesday, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said. The six seafarers who were rescued had spent more than 24 hours in the water, they said. 'The naval force of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted the ship Eternity C,' Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and saying the vessel was headed towards Eilat in the Zionist entity. The attack was carried out with an unmanned vessel and six cruise and ballistic missiles, he added. Saree said the Houthis had 'moved to rescue a number of the ship's crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location'. The rebels released a video showing masked gunmen storming the Magic Seas and simultaneous explosions that scuttled the bulk carrier. Saree warned 'all companies dealing with the ports of occupied Palestine that their ships and crews will be targeted' until the Zionist entity is forced to 'lift the siege on our brothers in Gaza, cease the aggression against them and end the ongoing war'. The Houthis claimed responsibility for a similar attack on Sunday targeting another ship, the Magic Seas. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank. The attacks on the two ships revive a campaign by the fighters, who had attacked more than 100 ships from Nov 2023 to Dec 2024 in solidarity with the Palestinians, before a lull in their campaign earlier this year. 'These vessels have been attacked with callous disregard for the lives of innocent civilian seafarers and as an inevitable but terrible consequence, seafarers have been killed,' leading shipping industry associations said in a joint statement on Wednesday. 'This tragedy illuminates the need for nations to maintain robust support in protecting shipping and vital sea lanes.' Both of the ships that were attacked flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms. Some of the sister vessels in each of their wider fleets had made calls to Zionist ports in the past year, shipping data analysis showed. 'We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light,' said an official at Greece-based maritime risk management firm Diaplous. Both ships had likely been attacked 'due to prior (Zionist) port calls or ownership/ship manager affiliations', according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre, run by Western navies. The EU's Aspides naval mission, which protects Red Sea shipping, confirmed in a statement that six people had been pulled from the sea. Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Yemen-based Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid. By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing. Two security sources told Reuters that the vessel was hit again with sea drones on Tuesday, forcing the crew and armed guards to abandon it. The Houthis stayed with the vessel until the early hours of Wednesday, one of the sources said. There were fears that some of the crew who jumped into the water may have been kidnapped by Houthis, the source added. Skiffs were in the area as the rescue efforts were underway. The crew comprised 21 Filipinos and one Russian. Three armed guards were also on board, including one Greek and one Indian, who was one of those rescued. The vessel's operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to requests for confirmation of casualties or injuries. If confirmed, the four reported deaths would be the first fatalities from attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024. Greece has been in talks with Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, over the latest incident, according to sources. – Agencies
