Houthis Hijack Cargo Ship in Red Sea, Crew of International Nationals Held

Israeli officials stated on Sunday that Houthi rebels operating out of Yemen have seized a civilian cargo ship sailing through the southern Red Sea.

The ship, named the Galaxy Leader, is British-owned and sails under the Bahamian flag. At the time of the hijacking, the ship had been leased to a Japanese company.

While the cargo liner is partially owned by Israeli shipping magnate Abraham “Rami” Ungar of Ray Shipping Ltd., Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has publicly stated, without naming the ship directly, that the ship in question is neither Israeli-owned nor there are there any Israelis onboard.

The Houthis are an Iranian-backed armed militia group aligned with Hamas that has been in direct conflict with Saudi-led coalition forces since the onset of the Yemeni civil war nearly a decade ago.

A news network with direct ties to Houthi leadership stated earlier today that it “will target all types of ships that carry the flag of the Zionist entity or are operated by or owned by Israeli companies” and that “[all countries should] withdraw their citizens working on the crews of the enemy entity’s ships, and to avoid shipping on them.”

The Galaxy Leader’s 25 captured crewmembers include Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino, and Mexican nationals.

The statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office underscores Iran’s culpability, stating that “[this] is another Iranian act of terrorism that represents an escalation in Iran’s belligerence against the citizens of the free world, with concomitant international ramifications vis-à-vis the security of global shipping routes.”

Source » themedialine.org