YEMEN’S Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea on Sunday and took its 25 crew members hostage, officials said.

The action raises fears that regional tensions heightened over the Israel-Hamas war were playing out on a new maritime front.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel and would continue to target ships in international waters that were linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel's campaign against Gaza’s Hamas rulers.