YEMEN’S Houthi rebels have been attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen in November in an offensive against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

The Red Sea is a passage to Israel’s port facilities and the Suez Canal – the shortest maritime route between Asia and Europe and used by 12 per cent of global trade, representing 30 per cent of all global container traffic and over US$1 trillion worth of goods a year.

A US-led multinational security force has been deployed to the area and has shot down missiles and drones from the Houthis, with the latest fire exchange on Dec 31.