According to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea, their forces targeted the Maersk Saratoga, APL Detroit, Huang Pu, and Pretty Lady ships, claiming that the first two were American and the third and fourth British.

Sarea also reported launching drones at two US Navy warships and ballistic missiles at targets in the Israeli city of Eilat.

The Houthi militia promised to continue these assaults until Israel lifts its blockade on the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

The Houthis, a militant group in Yemen, claimed that a British merchant vessel, Huang Pu, was targeted by their missiles in the Red Sea.

However, the US Central Command identified the vessel as Chinese-owned and operated, sailing under the Panamanian flag.

In the past five months, the Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones against international commercial and navy ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden.

They claimed their operations support the Palestinian people.

On Sunday, the Houthis stated they had informed Russia and China that their ships would not be targeted, and they would only attack Israeli-linked and Israel-bound ships, as well as UK and US vessels.

Elisabeth Kendall, a Middle East expert and employee of Cambridge University's Girton College, explained to Arab News that the Houthi attack on Chinese ships could be due to outdated or incorrect information or the belief that the US and UK transport commodities through third parties.

Kendall also suggested that the Houthis may be transferring their shipping assets to third parties as a cover strategy to avoid being targeted.

The Houthis have assured Russia and China that their attacks do not pose a threat to global maritime navigation and are only directed towards Israel and its allies.

The Houthis aim to show that their attacks are not a global issue but are focused on specific targets.

A prominent Yemeni teacher, Sabri Al-Hakimi, died in a Houthi prison six months after his kidnapping.

Dozens of Yemeni human rights advocates, journalists, parliament members, and others have signed a petition urging the Houthis to launch an investigation into his death.

The petition calls for a transparent inquiry and a coroner's examination to determine the causes of his death.

The Houthis have not confirmed the death of Abdulkareem Al-Hakimi, a Yemeni politician, nor explained why he was taken into custody.

Al-Hakimi is one of many Yemenis who have died in Houthi prison facilities, most notably in Sanaa.

Last month, Zaydoun Zaid Jahaf died in the Houthi Political Security jail in Sanaa.

In October, Save the Children suspended its operations in a Houthi-controlled area following the death of one of its employees in Houthi custody.

The organization resumed operations after the Houthis refused an inquiry into the worker's death.

No formal investigations or trials have been conducted in relation to these deaths.