Houthi rebels in Yemen have significantly stepped up attacks on commercial shipping vessels travelling through the lower Red Sea since mid-November in response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
On some occasions, Houthis have boarded or sought to board merchant tankers; on others, they have targeted cargo ships with drones and missiles. Damage has been minimal in most cases, but in mid-November, one tanker, the Galaxy Leader, was successfully hijacked.
