Israel recently reported the seizure of two commercial ships on the Red Sea by Houthi pirates. The uptick in Red Sea piracy by the Yemeni group marks a new front for armed conflict as the Israel-Hamas War rages on. The Houthis, a predominantly Shi’ite faction, are involved in the ongoing civil war in Yemen, having triggered the war when they seized the capital of Sanaa back in 2014. They are largely backed by Iran who is also a staunch supporter of Hamas. 

The rise of Houthi piracy marks a new front for conflict, and only speaks to the complexity of events unfolding in the Middle East. It is worth noting, one of the main motivators behind Hamas’ October 7th surprise attack on Israel was a rejection to Saudi Arabia potentially acknowledging the legitimacy of the state of Israel. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a  nine-state coalition military intervention in the Yemeni Civil War backing the Sunni forces of ousted Yemeni President Hadi.