Several countries have agreed to jointly carry out patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to try to safeguard commercial shipping against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who say they are supporting Palestinians under siege by Israel in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reports.

A statement by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on a visit to Bahrain, identified several countries taking part in an international force. It was unclear whether those countries are willing to do what US warships have done in recent days — shoot down Houthi missiles and drones and rush to the aid of commercial ships under attack.

“This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative,” the statement said.

It identified participating nations led by the United States as including among others the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.