Israel and Hamas announced a ceasefire on Wednesday, leading to speculation that the Yemen-based Houthis — who began attacking commercial ships in late 2023 ostensibly in retaliation for Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip — might call off the broadsides for good.

Before their release, the hostages, four female soldiers, were led onto a stage in Gaza City, surrounded by masked, uniformed fighters.

CMA CGM, the French container line that has continued to transit the Red Sea despite attacks on shipping, said it will continue to route most of its affected services away from the region.

The world’s top three container operators said they fear instability in Gaza and broader regional tensions mean continued danger.

Despite recently touting a Suez route, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) said it will stick to Cape of Good Hope until further notice.

French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM will continue to avoid the Red Sea even though it considers the region is more stable following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, it said on Saturday.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.

An explosion forced the crew of a Hong Kong-flagged container ship to abandon the vessel Tuesday near the coast of Yemen, shipping industry officials said.

The Yemeni rebel group says it will stop targeting vessels that transit the Red Sea.

Crowds of displaced Palestinians made the arduous journey back to heavily destroyed northern Gaza for a second day Tuesday, under a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.