A senior Houthi leader pitched Britain’s newest member of parliament, George Galloway, as a possible mediator in the current Middle East conflict.
Blaming the sinking of a British vessel in the Red Sea, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi has messaged British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, suggesing the new pro-Palestinian MP for Rochdale as a potential player in easing tensions.
Al-Houthi posted on social network X: “We say to Sunak, you and your government bear responsibility for the ship M/V Rubymar.” The Rubymar, a U.K.-owned cargo ship, sank on Saturday, two weeks after it was attacked on Feb. 18 by an anti-ship missile.
But he added: “You have a chance to salvage the M/V Rubymar by sending a letter of guarantee, signed by George Galloway, that the relief trucks agreed upon at that time would enter Gaza.”
Yemen’s Houthi group has launched a flurry of attacks on commercial and naval vessels in the critical trade artery in protest at Israel’s war with Hamas. In retaliation, the U.K. and U.S. military have carried out air strikes.
Galloway, a former Labour MP who was kicked out of his old party, was re-elected to the U.K. parliament Thursday on a staunchly pro-Palestinian ticket for the Worker’s Party of Britain.
Galloway has already argued that Labour leader Keir Starmer will “pay a high price, in enabling, encouraging and covering for” what he called the “catastrophe” in the Gaza Strip. Labour accused him of being “only interested in stoking fear and division.” Gallow promises to field 50 pro-Palestinian candidates in upcoming elections.