The Houthis of Yemen on Thursday said that as part of their campaign to block shipping in opposition to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, their naval forces had targeted an unidentified British merchant vessel in the Red Sea. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (abbreviated UKMTO) agency announced earlier on Thursday that an explosion was detected at a distance off the starboard side of a vessel west of Hodeidah in Yemen.

The UKMTO reported that the crew members and the vessel were safe. Whether it was the vessel that the Houthis had been aiming for was unknown.

Per a statement from the Houthi military spokesperson, the attacks on shipping are going to persist till the aggression ceases and the current siege on the Gaza Strip gets lifted. As unrest from the Israel-Hamas conflict spread throughout the region, the US and Great Britain started strikes on Houthis in Yemen. They restored the militia to their list of terrorist organizations.

Since November 19, the Houthi terrorists, backed by Iran and hold control over the most populous regions of Yemen, have been firing missiles and drones at commercial vessels.

Other regions of the Middle East were also affected by the Gaza conflict. Along the border, Hezbollah and Israel, affiliated with Iran, have been exchanging gunfire, while armed groups in Iraq have targeted American forces deployed there.