Human Rights Watch Denies Israeli Link to Ships Sunk by Houthis

Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has stated that the armed Houthi group committed grave violations of the laws of war, potentially amounting to war crimes, after attacking two commercial ships in the Red Sea between July 6 and 9, 2025. These attacks resulted in the sinking of both vessels, the death of several crew members, and the unlawful detention of six others.

The organization confirmed that the targeted ships, the “Magic Seas” and “Eternity C,” had no connection to Israel or any military activity. One was en route from China to Turkey, while the other had delivered humanitarian aid to Somalia and was headed to Saudi Arabia. This refutes the Houthi justification that the attacks were in support of Palestine.

Nico Jafarnia, a researcher at HRW, stated that “attacking civilian vessels not involved in any hostilities is a clear violation of international law,” calling for the immediate release of the detained crew and an end to the unlawful attacks.

HRW noted that Houthi forces launched shells and missiles at the two ships, causing fires and their eventual sinking. These attacks were documented by video, with some unverified recordings.

Human Rights Watch added that the attacks have caused severe environmental damage. Satellite images showed large oil slicks leaking from the sinking sites of the two ships, threatening wildlife and coastlines in Eritrea and Yemen.

A Yemeni environmental expert pointed out that Yemen is still suffering from the effects of previous ship sinkings, such as the “Rubymar,” warning of the difficulty of containing the pollution from the “Magic Seas.”

The organization emphasized that targeting civilian ships and polluting the natural environment are prohibited under international humanitarian law. It urged all parties to respect these laws, address the consequences of violations, and work urgently to contain marine pollution.

HRW also held both the Houthis and Israel responsible for violations committed in the Red Sea, affirming that all parties must be held accountable for war crimes without exception.