Four people are presumed dead after a Liberian-flagged cargo ship came under an hourslong attack from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who ultimately sank the vessel in the Red Sea.

The attack on the Eternity C, which killed at least three of the crew, represents the most serious assault carried out by the Houthis in the crucial maritime trade route.

Houthi rebels in Yemen attempted to strike Israel’s Ben Gurion airport after sinking two vessels in the Red Sea this week, as the group ramps up its military pressure in support of Palestinians under Israeli fire in its bid to bring the war in Gaza to an end.