Cameron urges Houthis to stop Red Sea campaign after third UK-US air strikes
The Houthis have repeatedly launched attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and elsewhere off the Yemen coast.
The Foreign Secretary has implored the Houthis to stop their “reckless” attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea following the latest UK-US air strikes.
Lord Cameron said the third wave of joint UK and US assaults on Houthi positions in Yemen on Saturday took place after “repeated warnings” for the rebel group to cease its harassment campaign.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s were supported by Voyager tankers during the allied mission as they targeted locations in Yemen used by the Iran-backed militants.
More than 30 sites across 13 locations were hit by coalition forces, according to a joint statement by the eight nations involved.
Lord Cameron tweeted on Sunday: “The UK and the US have carried out further strikes on Houthi military targets. We have issued repeated warnings to the Houthis. Their reckless actions are putting innocent lives at risk, threatening the freedom of navigation and destabilising the region. The Houthi attacks must stop.”
But rebel leaders said the latest air strikes would not deter them from targeting commercial ships in an operation they say is backing Palestinians in Gaza.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said: “These attacks will not discourage Yemeni forces and the nation from maintaining their support for Palestinians in the face of the Zionist occupation and crimes.
“The aggressors’ air strikes will not go unanswered.”
The Houthis have repeatedly launched attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and elsewhere off the Yemen coast, claiming it is targeting Israeli or Israel-destined ships in protest at the war with Hamas in Gaza.
However, they have frequently targeted ships with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping on a key global trade route used for accessing the Suez Canal.
As a result of the clashes in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al Mandab Strait, vessels have had to be redirected around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, a journey that takes longer and is more costly.
It is feared the disruption could increase inflation and push up the price of goods in shops.
During Saturday’s attacks, RAF Typhoons used precision-guided bombs against several military targets at three locations, the MoD said.
According to the Whitehall department, allied intelligence had calculated some of the stations were being used to launch drone attacks and to spy on freight vessels and Western warships.
The ministry said the night-time raids were designed to ensure minimal risk of civilian casualties.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps denied the attacks were escalatory.
The Cabinet minister said on Saturday he was “confident” the military action had “further degraded” Houthi capabilities to carry out its missile and drone ambushes.
The US described hitting underground missile arsenals, launch sites and helicopters used by the rebels.
In a joint statement issued after the strikes by the UK and its coalition partners — the US, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand — the Houthis were warned the West “will not hesitate to continue to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways”.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said that as Houthi capability is discovered, allied forces would “try and get rid of it”.
Defending the impact of the assaults by London and Washington, Mrs Keegan told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “They are targeted and they take different targets each time — (they have targeted) the launchers, there has been some underground storage.
“So, they are targeted and they want to basically do this to get rid of the capabilities that the Houthis have.”
The Liberal Democrats said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must not look to “avoid” being held to account over the Red Sea air strikes by Parliament as they renewed their call for a Commons vote.
Leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The Liberal Democrats support the case for limited strikes, so long as they remain limited.
“However, it is absolutely vital that Parliament has an opportunity to have its say, via a debate and a vote.
“It is becoming increasingly worrying that the Prime Minister seems to be doing all he can to avoid a proper debate and accountability in Parliament.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.