Yemen Monitor / Sana’a / Exclusive:
A Houthi spokesman said on Monday that sailors aboard ships targeted by the group are legitimate targets. At least eight sailors have been killed since the Houthis began their campaign in the Red Sea nearly two years ago.
Houthi spokesman Nasr al-Din Amer told The Washington Post that sailors were legitimate targets because they enable “the ongoing genocide and starvation against Gazans by engaging with Israeli ports.”
Amer added that any ship that fails to comply with Houthi warnings “raises questions about economic support for the aggression.”
The captain of the Tutor — a ship sunk by the Houthis in June 2024 — said the vessel had no plans to dock in Israel. Evalend Shipping, the Athens-based owner of the vessel, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Philippine government has warned ship owners and managers against hiring Filipinos to work aboard vessels transiting the Red Sea. Officials urged sailors to ignore promises of double pay for days spent navigating dangerous waterways and to exercise their right to refuse work in perilous seas.
