Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed on Sunday (November 19) that they had seized a commercial ship, owned by an Israeli businessman, in the Red Sea and hijacked it towards the Yemeni coast. The Israeli government condemned this “attack”, while ensuring that the Galaxy Leader, the seized vessel, is not an Israeli cargo ship. It is a British ship operated by the Japanese company Nippon Yusen (NYK). Japan also “strongly condemned” the attack.
The Houthis’ announcement comes days after Iranian-backed rebels threatened to target Israeli ships in this strategic sea between northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, due to the war being waged by Israel against Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“The naval forces of the Yemeni armed forces carried out a military operation in the Red Sea, the result of which was the seizure of an Israeli ship and its transfer to the Yemeni coast,” affirmed the military spokesperson of the Houthis, Yahya Saree, on the social network towards the oppressed Palestinian people, subjected to an unjust siege and continued horrific and heinous massacres perpetrated by the Israeli enemy.”
The Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen at war, only threaten “the ships of the Israeli entity and those belonging to Israelis”, argued their military spokesperson.
“No Israeli” on board
“It is not an Israeli ship,” assured the Israeli army, specifying that the boat had on board “civilians of various nationalities, but no Israelis.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “strongly condemned the Iranian attack on an international ship”, which he called “an aggression” against the “free world” with consequences “on the security of global sea lanes”. .
“The ship, which is owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese company, was hijacked at the direction of Iran by the Yemeni Houthi militia,” the statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office added. “On board the ship are 25 crew members of various nationalities, including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino and Mexican. No Israelis are on board,” he assured.
Information confirmed by the Japanese government which “firmly condemned” this attack. “Yesterday [Sunday] we received reports that the automobile carrier Galaxy Leader, operated by Nippon Yusen, was seized by the Houthis while sailing south on the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen,” he said. declared the spokesperson for the Japanese government, Hirokazu Matsuno.
According to maritime security company Ambrey, the Galaxy Leader is an automobile carrier owned by the company Ray Car Carriers, controlled by Israeli businessman Abraham Rami Ungar, “domiciled in Israel.” The specialist site Tradwinds confirms that the company Ray Car Carriers is registered in the United Kingdom, and that the vessel is operated by the Japanese company Nippon Yusen (NYK). The latter said on Monday that it could not immediately confirm who owned the ship.
A strategic route for international trade
According to the specialist site Marine Traffic, the Galaxy Leader, which also flies the flag of the Bahamas, was sailing off the Saudi port city of Jeddah, in the Red Sea, approaching neighboring Yemen, when its radar signals were cut off on Saturday . A maritime source from the port of Hodeida (west), controlled by the Yemeni rebels, affirmed for his part that “the Houthis seized a commercial ship and took it to the port of Al-Salif in Hodeida”.
A US military source called the seizure of “the Galaxy Leader car transporter” by “Houthi rebels” a “blatant violation of international law.” According to this source, Washington will contact its allies and the UN to gauge “appropriate” measures.
In recent weeks, Houthi rebels have launched several drones and missiles towards Israeli territory.
“We have our eyes open to constantly monitor and search for any Israeli vessel,” said the leader of the Houthis, Abdel Malek Al-Houthi, in a speech on their Al-Massira channel, threatening to “target” them.
The Red Sea is strategic for global trade, particularly the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, a narrow passage between Yemen and Djibouti, vital for oil traffic.