JERUSALEM

Israel’s Food Industries Association has warned of a potential food shortage due to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. 

“There is a risk of food shortage in emergencies after threats in the Red Sea amid the current developments in the Gaza war,” the group said in a statement quoted by Maariv daily on Monday.

It called for measures to ensure Israel’s food production does not go below less than 75% of the country’s food needs. 

“Failure to take these measures will cause a severe shortage of food in times of wars and emergencies,” the group warned.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have significantly stepped up their involvement in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip by targeting vessels in the southern Red Sea. 

The group vowed to attack Israel-bound ships in a show of support for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 20,674 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 54,536 others, according to local health authorities. 

Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli onslaught has left Gaza in ruins, with half of the coastal territory's housing damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced within the densely populated enclave amid shortages of food and clean water. 

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar