The Houthis have seized a commercial ship and fired ballistic missiles and drones at commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea, threatening to close the crucial trade corridor to all Israel-bound and Israeli-operated ships. The Houthis claim that the attacks were carried out to put pressure on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza. Separately, Yemen’s government and the Houthis have traded accusations for delaying long-awaited prisoner swap talks. The Houthis’ refusal to free Qahtan, who has been imprisoned since 2015, forced the Yemeni government to suspend negotiations with the militia last year. However, the leader of the Houthis’ prisoner exchange committee, Abdulkader Al-Murtada, accused the Yemeni government on Thursday of hindering the next round of negotiations by refusing to follow previously negotiated UN-brokered pledges, presumably referring to prison visits.

Source: Ethiopian News January 04, 2024 19:58 UTC