RED SEA / SANAA — A new wave of maritime escalation unfolded in the Red Sea this week as Yemen’s Houthi movement confirmed the sinking of a second commercial ship, the Eternity C, within days. The development has reignited global attention on the increasingly volatile maritime front, which the Houthis say is directly linked to their opposition to the war in Gaza.
At least four crew members — three Filipinos and one Russian — were killed, and 15 others remain missing, six of whom are reportedly in Houthi custody. Rescuers have so far pulled ten survivors from the sea, including eight Filipino sailors, one Indian security guard, and one Greek national.
The attack marks the second such incident in less than a week, following the sinking of the Magic Seas — also Greek-owned — by Houthi forces on Sunday. While that crew was rescued in full, the Eternity C incident represents a notable loss of life, raising concerns over security and humanitarian protections in maritime zones.
According to maritime observers, the Houthis resumed their naval operations after a temporary ceasefire collapsed, accusing Israel and its allies of continuing the siege on Gaza without pause. The Houthis have consistently maintained that their actions target vessels linked to or serving Israeli and U.S. military or economic interests, as part of what they call a regional response to occupation and aggression.
“We remain deeply concerned for the welfare of the missing crew,” said Ellie Shafik, intelligence head at Vanguard Tech. “There must be accountability for the conditions that led to this loss of civilian life — and that includes the wider military entanglements feeding into this crisis.”
UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg stated that the situation “risks destabilizing commercial navigation” and called for restraint, though he acknowledged the “grave context” from which these actions are emerging — a clear reference to Israel’s continuing bombardment of Gaza, which has displaced millions and claimed over 37,000 lives.
Notably, one of the fatalities aboard the Eternity C was a Russian national, underscoring Moscow’s indirect entanglement in a conflict that has largely seen it stand apart in rhetoric, yet indirectly affected through commercial and naval ties. Russia has continued to engage diplomatically with both Israel and regional resistance actors, while selling arms across all sides of the regional divide.
Meanwhile, in Yemen, Houthi forces continue to enjoy widespread public support for what many Yemenis consider a principled stance against Israeli actions in Palestine, even as Western powers condemn their tactics.
As regional waters grow increasingly hostile, the message from Sana’a remains unchanged: so long as Gaza suffers under siege, the Red Sea will not be silent.
