:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/6WIRVDXWIFGUTFBWDMKYO6VXFY.jpg "Iranian-backed Houthis Hijack Israeli-Owned Ship in the Red Sea")
Yemen’s Houthis, a militia armed by Iran, hijacked a ship partially owned by an Israeli businessman and diverted it to a Yemeni port amid escalating tensions in the region. The Bahamian-flagged cargo ship, Galaxy Leader, was leased by a British company, partly owned by Israeli Rami Unger, to a Japanese company. The incident occurred after threats from the Houthis to attack Israeli ships in retaliation for Israeli attacks on the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.
The ship, which left a port in Turkey bound for India, was sailing under the flag of the Bahamas. On board the ship were 25 crew members of different nationalities, including Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Filipinos, and Mexicans. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that there were no Israelis on board the ship.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office condemned the kidnapping, calling it an “act of Iranian terrorism.” The Prime Minister’s Office stressed that the ship was neither Israeli nor owned by an Israeli. The PMO also highlighted the international implications regarding the security of global shipping routes.
A Houthi source, who asked not to be identified, told the EFE agency that they were “investigating” the crew of the boat, although he did not confirm that it was an Israeli-owned or flagged vessel. The Houthi spokesperson justified this type of action “in light of the brutal Israeli-American aggression against the Gaza Strip, characterized by daily massacres and genocide.”
This incident comes after the Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, reiterated their intention to attack ships flying the Israeli flag and those operated by Israeli-owned companies. Since the start of the war against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza on October 7, the Houthis have warned that they would not sit “idly.” This has led to a series of missile and drone attacks against the Jewish State, which have been intercepted by the Israeli Army.
Iran’s support for groups like Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels has put it at the center of concerns that the war could spread in the region. As tensions continue to escalate, the international community is closely monitoring the situation for further developments.