Houthis insist on entry of aid into Gaza in exchange for salvaging sunken British ship

By Aziz Ahmadi

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Yemen’s Houthi group insisted Saturday on bringing relief aid into the Gaza Strip in exchange for allowing the sunken British ship Rubymar in the Gulf of Aden to be salvaged.

“We confirm again that the offer is valid to tow the ship (Rubymar) in exchange for bringing relief trucks into Gaza,” Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the group's Supreme Political Council, said in a statement on X.

“We hold Britain responsible for all consequences,” he added.

There was no comment from Britain regarding the statement.

The British ship Rubymar, which was targeted by the Houthis on Feb. 18, was carrying large quantities of ammonia and oils, according to the official Saba Agency.

Last Saturday, the Yemeni government said that the ship was heading toward the Yemeni Hanish Islands in the Red Sea, which threatens a “major environmental disaster.”

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last Saturday that “the unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant damage to the ship, which caused an 18-mile oil slick.”

“The M/V Rubymar was transporting over 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was attacked, which could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster,” it added.

The Yemeni Houthi group has been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7.

With tensions escalating due to joint strikes by the US and UK against Houthi targets in Yemen, the group declared that it considered all American and British ships legitimate military targets.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi