The Yemeni Ansar Allah movement has reaffirmed its position on the ban on the passage of Israeli ships through the Red Sea. This was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister of the government of Sanaa Hussein al-Ezi.

Al-Ezi stated:

“Of course, Sanaa is more interested in the safety of navigation and more respectful of the interests of the world, which we have proven in practice in the past.”

He also recalled that navigation in the Red Sea will be safe for all ships, with the exception of those of the Israeli “criminal state,” until its aggression against civilians and children in “offended Gaza” stops. Israeli media have acknowledged that Yemen poses a strategic threat to Israel due to its geographic location.

Former head of the Israeli National Security Council Giora Island noted that "our problem with the Yemenis is their location in a narrow section of the Red Sea on the southern part, and this is a bigger problem than missiles."

Island also expressed concerns that if the Yemenis decided to stop every Israeli vessel, it would raise questions about the ability to continue sailing from the Red Sea to Eilat.

The Sana'a government's Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs, Jalal al-Ruwaishan, previously spoke about a truce in the Gaza Strip, saying:

"The truce concerns Gaza, and the military representative announced that our decision to close the Red Sea to the enemy is still in effect."

On the 19th of this month, the Yemeni navy managed to detain an Israeli ship in the Red Sea with 52 people on board. In parallel, Yemeni forces reaffirmed that "their operations will target ships flying the Israeli flag, operated by Israeli companies or owned by Israelis."