Houthis release video of 10 Eternity C crewmembers amid threats of ships dealing with Israeli ports

Yemen’s Houthis released footage on Monday of 10 crew members who survived the sinking of a Liberia-flagged Greek vessel that was attacked few weeks ago. Photographs released by the Houthis show 10 “rescued” crew members of the Greek-managed bulker Eternity C that was attacked by Yemen’s Houthis in the southern Red Sea, the second ship attacked recently by Iran-backed Houthis after months of calm.

A video featuring the crew members was posted by the press service of the Houthi armed forces. The video also features photos with the names of ten Eternity C crew members who survived the sinking of the Greek vessel.

The group published a six-minute video claiming to show the nighttime “rescue,” with scenes of men in life jackets being pulled from the water, treated for injuries and drinking water.

The crew members were shown saying the ship was heading for Eilat, Israel and said at the end: “We are sorry, Palestinians.” The video shows one crew member with head and arm bandages, while another is shown lying in bed and speaking in English.

In the video, which maritime security experts describe it as a heavily scripted propaganda video, four crew members are interviewed in a television’s studio-like setting. At the end of the footage nine seafarers are seen together in a room. Interviews with the crew and footage of them calling home were also included.

Houthis released the video on Monday, a day after announcing their attacks would now extend to all companies “dealing with Israeli ports”.

Yemen’s Houthis threatened to target all ships that deal with Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality or destination.

The threat from Houthis was issued on Sunday in a statement by the spokesperson of the Yemeni armed forces Yahya Sare’e.

Sare’e declared that the Houthis have decided to attack any vessel belonging to a company that provides services or collaborates with ports in Israel, regardless of the company’s nationality.

“We warn all companies to cease dealings with Israeli ports starting from the date of this statement,” he said.

Houthis warned that they would target “all ships belonging to any company that deals with the ports of the Israeli enemy, regardless of the nationality of that company, and in any location within the reach of our armed forces.”

The vessels would be targeted regardless of their destination, they added.

Sare’e emphasized that this “escalation,” which is part of the Houthis’ fourth phase of its naval blockade against Israel, is designed to pressure Israel to “halt its aggression and lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip.”

“The actions of the Yemeni Armed Forces express our moral and humanitarian commitment to the injustice against the brotherly Palestinian people, and all our military operations will be ceased immediately upon the cessation of aggression against Gaza and the lifting of the blockade,” reads the spokesperson’s statement.