The leader of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, who have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea, said on Thursday the group had carried out “operations” in the Indian Ocean and towards southern Israel.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi’s comments made clear that the Houthis have acted on earlier threats to expand operations to the Indian Ocean region and attacks towards southern Israel.

The Houthis have repeatedly launched attacks towards the southern Israeli port of Eilat in what they have described as a direct confrontation with Israel.

Al-Houthi said in a televised speech that the Houthis had launched 14 operations in two weeks in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Indian Ocean.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping, which started in the Red Sea region last November, are carried out in solidarity with Palestinians who are under fire from Israel in Gaza.

“There is no danger to maritime traffic related to (ships linked to) European countries that are not heading to Israel,” he added.

Al-Houthi said that so far 98 ships had been targeted in attempts to prevent ships heading to Israel from sailing through the Red Sea.

He said the group would press on with its until Israel halts the military offensive it began against Hamas in Gaza following the Palestinian militant group’s attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.

“The solution in everyone’s interest is to stop the (Israeli) aggression, end the siege in Gaza, and provide food and medicine (to the Gaza Strip),” he said.

Source: Reuters reported by Clauda Tanios and Nayera Abdallah edited by Hugh Lawson and Timothy Heritage