The incident came after Houthi rebels threatened to block the passage of Israeli-linked ships if aid did not enter the Gaza Strip.

A French frigate shot down two drones over the Red Sea that were believed to be approaching from the coast of Yemen, according to the French military.

“The interception and destruction of these two identified threats” was carried out late Saturday evening by the frigate Languedoc operating in the Red Sea, the General Staff said in a press release on Sunday.

The intercepts occurred at 20:30 GMT and 22:30 GMT and were 110 km (68 miles) from the Yemeni coast, it said.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened on Saturday to attack all ships heading to Israeli ports unless food and medicine were allowed to enter the besieged Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by more than two months of Israeli bombing.

The Houthis said any “vessels linked to Israel or transporting goods to Israeli ports” are not welcome in the Red Sea, a key channel for global trade that connects to the Suez Canal.

“We warn all ships and companies against doing business with Israeli ports,” the group said in a statement.

Increased tensions in the Red Sea

The latest warning comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters following a series of sea attacks by Houthi rebels since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7.

Last week, the Yemeni group attacked two ships off the Yemeni coast, including a Bahamian-flagged vessel, claiming they were Israeli-owned. And last month, the rebels seized the Galaxy Leader, an Israeli-linked cargo ship.

In a recent statement released on social media, the Houthi rebels say said They “will prevent the passage of ships heading to the Zionist entity” if humanitarian aid is not allowed to enter the Gaza Strip.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says 36 percent of households in the Gaza Strip now suffer from “severe hunger.”

At least 17,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in two months of Israeli bombing, while thousands of people are believed to be trapped under the rubble.

Attacks on Israeli-affiliated ships

In addition to the maritime attacks, the Houthis have launched a series of drone and missile attacks against Israel following Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip.

Washington said a U.S. destroyer shot down three drones coming from Yemen last week while providing aid to merchant ships in the Red Sea. The US denounced “a direct threat” to maritime security.

Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said his country would not accept the “sea siege” and noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked US President Joe Biden and European leaders to take measures to deal with the situation.

“If the world does not take care of this,” Hanegbi warned on Israel’s Channel 12 television, “we will take measures to lift the sea siege.”

Iran-linked groups in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and armed groups in Syria and Iraq, have attacked US facilities since Israeli bombing began on October 7.

Israel continues to bomb Gaza The USA vetoed it A U.N. Security Council resolution called for a ceasefire on Friday, a move that was strongly condemned by humanitarian groups.