Recent Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden may amount to war crimes in at least three cases, according to Human Rights Watch, which said the incidents have placed civilian crews at serious risk. The attacks followed the Houthis’ July 20 announcement that they would impose a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia. The group said the move was in response to what it described as a Saudi sea and air blockade on Yemen. Since then, the Houthis have claimed attacks against at least nine vessels, while several incidents have been confirmed by Saudi and Yemeni authorities, s

Recent Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden may amount to war crimes in at least three cases, according to Human Rights Watch, which said the incidents have placed civilian crews at serious risk. The attacks followed the Houthis’ July 20 announcement that they would impose a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia. The group said the move was in response to what it described as a Saudi sea and air blockade on Yemen. Since then, the Houthis have claimed attacks against at least nine vessels, while several incidents have been confirmed by Saudi and Yemeni authorities, shipping companies and vessel crews. One of the most serious incidents involved the Tanzania-flagged

Tihamah

, which was attacked on August 11 near the Bab el-Mandab Strait. Yemen’s Transport Ministry said the vessel was struck by three ballistic missiles, killing at least four crew members, including three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian national. Two Yemeni Coast Guard rescuers were also killed, while at least 10 people were injured. The Houthis later claimed that the

Tihamah

was carrying Saudi military equipment. Yemen’s Transport Ministry, however, described it as a civilian commercial vessel carrying food supplies. Human Rights Watch said it could not independently verify the cargo and asked the Houthis to provide evidence supporting their claim. Other vessels targeted included the Saudi-flagged

Encelia

and

Amzan

, as well as the Dominica-flagged

Daisy

. The

Encelia

was reportedly hit and caught fire, although its crew remained safe. An explosion involving the

Daisy

caused minor damage, while all crew members aboard the

Amzan

were reported safe. The rights organization said evidence it reviewed indicated that the Houthis knew, or should have known, that several of the vessels were commercial ships carrying civilian crews. It said there was no evidence presented to demonstrate that

Encelia

,

Daisy

or

Amzan

contained military targets. International humanitarian law requires parties to distinguish between military objectives and civilian objects and to take feasible precautions to minimize civilian harm. The latest attacks add to a broader pattern of Houthi strikes against commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023, continuing to expose civilian mariners to significant risks.

Recent Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have put civilian crews at risk. Human Rights Watch says at least three of the attacks likely constitute war crimes.

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