Israeli ports on alert: Schedules pulled amid Yemeni operations

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Globes
13 Dec 2023 14:25
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In the wake of the Yemeni Armed Forces' operations in solidarity with Gaza, “Israel's National Security Council” has urgently instructed ports to remove information about ships' itineraries from their websites.

Israeli ports on alert: Schedules pulled amid Yemeni operations

The "National Security Council of Israel" urgently directed ports to eliminate details about ship arrivals and departures from their websites, as reported by Globes.

"As soon as it becomes clear in the future that there is no longer a problem that must be taken into account, it will be possible to immediately return to the previous situation," the statement said.

The directive from the Israeli occupation's Council comes after the recent Yemeni Armed Forces' operation on the Norwegian oil tanker, the STRINDA, which took place on Monday afternoon. The US military reported material damage from the attack, with no casualties.

Shortly after, Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed that the naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeted an oil tanker with a missile strike.

"In support of our Palestinian people, amid their grave plight, who are currently facing death, destruction, and siege in the Gaza Strip, and in response to the calls of the free people of Yemen and the free people of our Umma, the naval forces have executed a top-tier military operation against the Norwegian 'Strinda' ship," his statement opened up.

The Norwegian-flagged ship was loaded with oil and headed to the ports of the Israeli occupation, General Saree announced in the statement.

The Yemeni Armed Forces succeeded in the past few days in enforcing the ban they had declared last week without the need for military action.

The statement emphasized that the STRINDA oil tanker was only targeted with a missile after the crew rejected all warning calls.

"The Yemeni armed forces will not hesitate to target any ship that violates the directions in previous statements," he stressed.

Prior to the Yemeni statement, the US CENTCOM stated that "the Motor Tanker STRINDA was attacked by what is assessed to have been an Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM)" launched from an area of Yemen controlled by Ansar Allah while passing through Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The big picture

Last Sunday, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the introduction of a new actionable decision in support of Gaza, which will see the prohibition of all ships bound to the occupation entity, regardless of their nationality, from passing through the Arabian and Red seas until food and medicine sufficient to the needs of the population enter the besieged Strip.

In a statement, Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree declared that this prohibition was "effective immediately", noting that Sanaa, "out of its commitment to the safety of maritime navigation, warns all ships and companies against dealing with Israeli ports."

"The Yemeni Armed Forces emphasize their full commitment to the continuity of global trade movement through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea for all ships and all countries, except those ships associated with Israel or those that will transport goods" to the occupation entity.

In an earlier statement, on November 19, the Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson, Yahya Saree, announced the Forces' intention to target any ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or bearing the Israeli flag. This statement, made on the group's Telegram channel, also included a call for all nations to withdraw their citizens employed in the crews of any such ships.

"We urge all countries to avoid shipping on vessels owned by Israeli companies or operated by them," he stressed then.

This comes alongside other attacks claimed by Yemen against Israeli targets, including the launch of long-range cruise missiles and drones on several occasions, as well as ballistic missiles at "Eilat" located in the southernmost region of occupied Palestine.