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Attacks on shipping in the Red Sea
On 19 November, the car transporter Galaxy Leader was hijacked by the Houthis, with 25 individuals on board. The empty car transporter on route to India was boarded using a Mil Mi-17 helicopter. The incident followed a statement by Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea on the group's Telegram channel, declaring their intention to target ships owned, operated by Israeli companies, or carrying the Israeli flag. According to the ship's owner, the vessel was then moved to the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

Sarea also urged countries to remove their citizens from crews of such ships. Earlier, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had threatened further attacks against Israeli interests, including potential targets in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. His speech emphasized the group's capability to monitor and target Israeli ships in these regions.

On 24 November 2023, the Houthis attacked the CMA CGM Symi, a Malta-flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean. A drone was shot down over the Red Sea by an IDF fighter jet.

On 26 November 2023, the Liberian-flagged MV Central Park, an oil tanker managed by Zodiac Maritime, was seized off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. It carried a full cargo of phosphoric acid with 22 crew members consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The destroyer USS Mason, along with a partner nation in the multilateral anti-piracy operation CTF 151, conducted a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operation that facilitated the release of the Central Park and captured the hijackers on the ship following their attempted escape. The U.S. military reported that in the early morning hours of the following day, two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of the Mason and the Central Park from Houthi territory in Yemen and ended up in the Gulf of Aden. The ship was not unharmed. The five hijackers, all suspected Somali pirates, were detained by the U.S. Navy.

On 3 December 2023, the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney reportedly shot down three attack drones launched from Yemen that were approaching the ship. After shooting down the drones, the ship responded to a distress call by three commercial ships in the area (the Unity Explorer, Number 9 and Sophie II) which were under attack by ballistic missiles launched from Yemen.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated that one merchant vessel was hit by a missile and another by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, without mentioning a warship. A Pentagon source said that the attacks on Carney caused no injuries or damage.

On 12 December 2023, the Houthis launched an anti-ship cruise missile attack against the Norwegian commercial ship Strinda, an oil and chemical tanker operated by the J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi company, while it was close to the Bab-el-Mandeb. The Strinda was on its way from Malaysia to Italy (via the Suez Canal). The attack caused a fire aboard the ship; no crew members were injured. The ship was carrying cargo of palm oil. The French Armed Forces Ministry and U.S. Department of Defense reported that the Languedoc shot down a drone targeted at the Strinda, and the USS Mason also rendered aid. The Houthi attack on the Strinda was an expansion of its series of attacks against maritime shipping in the strait; the Houthis began to attack commercial vessels without any discernible tie to Israel.

On 13 December 2023, Houthi rebels attempted to board the Ardmore Encounter, a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker coming from Mangalore, India and en route to either Rotterdam, Netherlands or Gavle, Sweden, but failed, prompting a distress call from the ship. They then targeted the tanker with missiles, which missed. The USS Mason responded to the tanker’s distress call and shot down a UAV launched from a Houthi-controlled area. The Ardmore Encounter was able to continue its voyage without further incident.

On 14 December 2023, a Houthi-launched missile was fired at the Maersk Gibraltar, though it missed its target.

On 15 December 2023, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for attacks on two Liberian-flagged vessels identified as MSC Alanya and MSC Palatium III. The Houthis fired naval missiles at the ships as they alleged they were traveling to Israel.

On 15 December, it was reported that the Liberian-flagged Al-Jasrah, which is owned by Hapag Lloyd, caught fire after being hit by a Houthi-launched projectile while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

On 16 December 2023, Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond (D34) shot down a drone over the Red Sea while it was targeting a commercial ship.

On 18 December 2023, Houthis claimed to have launched attacks targeting two cargo vessels in the Red Sea near Mocha port, the MSC Clara and the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic. The Swan Atlantic's owner, Inventor Chemical Tankers, said its water tank was damaged in the attack and denies it has no Israeli ties.