SANAA, Yemen

Yemen’s Houthi group on Sunday hailed the departure of a German frigate from the Red Sea as a “step in the right direction.”

German broadcaster Deutsche Welle said Saturday that frigate Hessen left the Red Sea after completing its mission of “protecting commercial ships from Houthi militants in Yemen.”

The frigate was part of the European Union's ASPIDES maritime defense mission. It was deployed in the Red Sea in February amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the region.

“The departure of the German frigate is a step in the right direction,” said Hussein Al-Ezzi, who acts as a deputy foreign minister in the Houthi-led government, said in a statement.

He said Houthi authorities are keen on maintaining safe navigation in the Red Sea.

On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi called on European countries to withdraw their warships from the Red Sea, stressing that there was no danger to European ships, which “are not going to Israel.”

The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea, particularly those bound for Israel, since last fall. They say the attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, where nearly 34,100 people have been killed since last October.

The Houthi attacks have prompted the US and UK to launch retaliatory airstrikes against sites of the group inside Yemen.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi