Yemen’s Houthi rebels have signaled they will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships as a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip takes hold.

The Houthis said over the weekend they would stop attacking transiting vessels as long as the cease-fire holds. But big box ship operators said it would take some time before secu

Hapag-Lloyd reiterated it will return to the Red Sea "when it is sufficiently safe to do so," while Maersk said it was too early to speculate.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Wednesday released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.

Yemen's Houthis have indicated they will restrict their Red Sea attacks to vessels linked with Israel amid a ceasefire in Gaza.

MSC, A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, Hapag-Lloyd AG and CMA CGM Group have all been hesitant to resume operations in the Red Sea.

Houthi, said the Iran-aligned group will monitor the implementation of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and will continue its attacks on ships in the Red Sea if it is breached.

Ships not linked to Israel could begin returning to the Red Sea in as little as two weeks, DP World's deputy chief executive said, adding that could see freight prices "come crashing down".

The Galaxy Leader was taken in November 2023 at the start of the Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.

The second reason is politics. The Houthis have made it clear that any re-opening of the route is contingent on the modalities and progress of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the implementation of which began on Sunday. “There are still many ifs and buts to the situation,” the executive said.

Maritime security officials said on Thursday they were expecting Yemen's Houthi militia to announce a halt in attacks on ships in the Red Sea, after a ceasefire deal in the war in Gaza between Israel and the militant group Hamas.