A US warship on Thursday shot down a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile in the Red Sea fired by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the US military said.

"The USS Mason (DDG 87) shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthis," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement, referring to a guided-missile destroyer.

"There was no damage to any of the 18 ships in the area or reported injuries. This is the 22nd attempted attack by Houthis on international shipping since October 19," the statement read.

Houthis increase attacks in Red Sea

The Houthis have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the important waterway where everything from oil and natural gas to electronics and toys pass through.

The Houthis say the attacks are in support of ending the war in Gaza.

The Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, earlier on Thursday spoke about the importance of freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

Prosor told the German news agency DPA: "What the Houthis are doing in the Red Sea is not only directed against Israel, but against the entire international community."

Israel has vowed to crush Hamas' governing capabilities in Gaza in retaliation for its attacks on Israel on October 7, where militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians.

Hamas has been designated a terrorist group by the US, the EU, Germany and others.

Commercial ships rerouted to bypass Red Sea

The attacks on vessels in the Red Sea — through which 12% of global maritime trade passes — have prompted the United States and a host of other nations to create a new force to protect ships.

Some of the world's largest shipping companies have re-directed their vessels on longer journeys in order to bypass the Red Sea.

The US also imposed sanctions on December 28 against groups from Yemen and Turkey that allegedly helped fund the Houthis.

rm/jsi (AFP, dpa, Reuters)