RIYADH – The Arab Coalition demanded on Tuesday immediate release of the United Arab Emirates' vessel 'Rawabi' with its full cargo, seized by the terrorist Houthi militia. "If the Houthis fail to comply, then any of the ports they use for launching maritime piracy and armed robbery attacks will become legitimate military targets," said Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen. He said in a statement that the vessel was heading to the Saudi city of Jazan with medical supplies on board that were used to set up a field hospital on the Yemeni island of Socotra. "The UAE-flagged cargo ship was targeted through piracy and hijacking while sailing off the coast of Hodeidah governorate on Sunday. The attack was a criminal act by the Iran-backed Houthi militia, launched from Hodeidah port, to intercept a commercial ship in international waters," the Saudi Press Agency reported quoting Al-Maliki as saying. The spokesman warned the Houthis against violating maritime laws and described their actions as "terrorist acts" which undermine the security of waterways and directly threaten maritime navigation and global trade. Maliki called on the Houthis to promptly release the ship or the Coalition Forces will undertake all necessary measures and procedures to handle this violation, including the use of force if necessary. "This act of piracy and hijacking was executed from Hodeidah Port through interception of the commercial ship in international waterways, which is a blatant violation of the International Humanitarian Law and relevant laws of the sea in view of the fact that Rawabi is a commercial cargo ship, which was carrying medical field equipment, that were used to operate the Saudi Field Hospital in the Island of Socotra following the completion of its humanitarian mission of providing healthcare and medical services to thousands of Yemenis on the island. The International Humanitarian Law, the San Remo Manual on Armed Conflicts at Sea and relevant United Nations Conventions guarantee the freedom of navigation and international trade in the sea and waterways, while depriving protection and safe haven for pirates, considering that these terrorist acts undermine the security of waterways, and are a direct threat to the freedom of navigation and international trade," the spokesman said in the statement. Al-Maliki noted that this serious criminal act contradicts the provisions and the underlying spirit of the Stockholm Agreement of 2018, specifically the second article of the commitments and the second provision of the agreement regarding the city of Hodeidah and Ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Saleef.
