A ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas which will halt months of fighting. The ceasefire brings hope in the shipping industry but there’s still great uncertainty about whether the deal will put a total end to the Iran-backed Houthi attacks against merchant ships. Houthis said yesterday evening that they will “continue monitoring the developments after the ceasefire agreement,” and they will be “ready to support” if the agreement is breached by Israel.
The Houthis have attacked numerous ships and escalated their attacks throughout the war. They launched missile and drone attacks on Israel over the past months.
On the other hand, Israel launched recently air strikes targeting Houthi military targets in Yemen, including ports and energy infrastructure in Sana’a.
A shipowner said recently that it is a “bit naive to believe” that the owners will put their seafarers at risk, passing the Red Sea “anytime soon.”
The first phase of the deal reached between Israel and Hamas includes a pause in the war, but several details and the timeline of the full deal remain unclear and will be key to its success moving forward.
US vice president Kamala Harris welcomed that the deal would return hostages to their families, bring immediate relief to the people of Gaza through a surge in humanitarian aid, and form the basis for a lasting end to the war and security for Israel.
The White House now expects the deal to “be fully implemented and on schedule.”
Joe Biden, who will step down in few days as president-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated on January 20, spoke on Wednesday with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to congratulate him on the ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.
The two leaders discussed the conditions the hostages, including Americans, have experienced over their 15 months in captivity and expressed their joy that hostages will soon be reunited with their families.
Netanyahu also spoke with Donald Trump and thanked him for his assistance in advancing the release of the hostages and for helping Israel bring an end “to the suffering of dozens of hostages”, as he said, “and their families.”
The two decided to meet in Washington soon in order to discuss this and other important issues.
The deal announced Wednesday would see a pause in fighting with a view to eventually wind down a 15-month war that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.
The Biden administration had called for a final effort before the president leaves office, and many in the region and in Washington viewed Trump’s inauguration Monday as an unofficial deadline.
However, Trump celebrated the cease-fire agreement on Wednesday, with the incoming president taking credit for the breakthrough in negotiations that is poised to establish a path to end the war.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“I am thrilled American and Israeli hostages will be returning home to be reunited with their families and loved ones,” he added.
