Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized an Israeli-linked cargo ship on a crucial sea route in the Red Sea on Sunday.
Officials also said rebels had taken 25 members of the ship’s crew hostage, raising fears that regional tensions, heightened by the war between Israel and Hamas, were moving to a new maritime front.
Houthi rebels said they seized the ship because of its ties to Israel. The Iranian-backed rebels noted they would continue to attack ships in international waters linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel’s campaign against Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The Houthis said:
All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets.
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesman, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand “the language of force.” He said:
The detention of the Israeli ship is a practical step that proves the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in waging the sea battle, regardless of its costs and costs. This is the beginning.
The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed the attack on the Bahamas-flagged vessel Galaxy Leader, owned by an Israeli billionaire, on Houthis. The report said the 25 crew members were of different nationalities, including Mexicans, Ukrainians, Bulgarians and Filipinos, but there were no Israelis on board.
The Houthis said they treated the crew members “in accordance with their Islamic values,” but did not specify what that meant.
Israel emphasises that the vessel was British-owned and Japanese-operated. However, public shipping databases linked the ship’s owners to Ray Carriers, a company founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, who is known as one of Israel’s richest men.
Ungar told The Associated Press that he was aware of the incident but could not comment because he was awaiting details. In 2021, there was an explosion on a related ship in the Gulf of Oman. Israeli media blamed Iran at the time.
Washington’s defence establishment has confirmed that Houthi rebels seized the Galaxy Leader vessel in the Red Sea on Sunday afternoon local time. The rebels descended on the cargo ship from a helicopter, confirming details first reported by NBC News. Such actions are reminiscent of other ship hijackings carried out by Iran, which has long armed the Houthis.
Twice in the past month, US warships have intercepted missiles or drones from Yemen that were believed to pose a threat to US vessels or were headed toward Israel. Last month, the USS Carney intercepted three land-based cruise missiles and several drones launched by Houthi forces in the northern Red Sea.
The Red Sea, stretching from the Suez Canal in Egypt to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait separating the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, remains a key trade route for global shipping and energy supplies. The US Navy has deployed several ships in the sea since the war between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October.
Since 2019, a number of ships have been attacked at sea as Iran has begun to violate all restrictions imposed by its torn nuclear deal with world powers. As Israel expands its devastating campaign against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip following an unprecedented militant attack on southern Israel, fears are growing that the hostilities could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
