Yemen’s Houthi rebels reiterated on Tuesday that they would consider ending their drone and missile attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden only after Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip end.

Asked whether they would stop actions of this nature if a truce was declared, Mohammed Abdulsalam, a spokesman for the Ansar Allah (“Supporters of God”) movement, better known as the Houthis after the family name of its leaders, told Reuters news agency that the situation will only be reviewed if the siege of the Palestinian enclave is ended and the unhindered distribution of humanitarian aid to Gazans is allowed.

“Operations to help the Palestinian people will not stop until the end of the Israeli attack and siege” on the Gaza Strip, said the spokesman for the Shiite rebels, who are considered close to Iran.

The Houthis, who control almost all of northern Yemen, have been launching attacks since November 19 against merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, especially those they say are “connected” to Israel, in a show of “solidarity” with the Palestinians in Gaza Strip, in the middle of the Israel/Hamas war.

Their actions have forced major shipping companies to suspend the passage of their ships through the strategically important area, through which about 12% of world trade passes.

To counter the attacks, the US, Israel’s main ally, formed a multinational coalition in December to “protect” shipping in the strategic maritime area. And, since mid-January, the US and British armed forces have launched a series of bombings in Yemen against Houthi positions and weapons, which for their part now describe US and British ships as “legitimate targets”.

Neither the coalition, nor the bombings against Houthi positions and weapons systems in Yemen have stopped the attacks of the Yemeni rebels.