Seizing an Israeli-linked cargo ship in a vital Red Sea shipping route on Sunday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels took 25 crew members hostage, prompting concerns that heightened regional tensions from the Israel-Palestine conflict were unfolding on a new maritime front.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels stated that they hijacked the ship due to its connection to Israel and announced their intention to target ships in international waters linked to or owned by Israelis until the end of Israel’s campaign against Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
“All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets,” the Houthis declared.
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesperson, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand “the language of force.”
“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,” he added. “This is the beginning.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office blamed the Houthis for the attack on the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier affiliated with an Israeli billionaire, stating that no Israelis were on board.
The ship’s Japanese operator, NYK Line, mentioned that the vessel had no cargo at the time of the hijacking. Its crew members are from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, according to NYK.
Japan condemned the hijacking on Monday, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stating that the Japanese government was working for an early release of the crew through negotiations with Houthi rebels.
Japan is also in communication with Israel and cooperating with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran.
The Houthis claimed they were treating the crew members “in accordance with their Islamic values” but did not elaborate on what that meant.
Netanyahu’s office condemned the seizure as an “Iranian act of terror,” and the Israeli military called it a “very grave incident of global consequence.”
Israeli officials insisted the ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated.
However, ownership details in public shipping databases associated the ship’s owners with Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, known as one of the richest men in Israel.
Ungar, aware of the incident, could not comment as he awaited details. A ship linked to him experienced an explosion in 2021 in the Gulf of Oman, blamed on Iran by Israeli media at the time.
Two U.S. defense officials confirmed that Houthi rebels seized the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on Sunday afternoon local time.
The rebels rappelled from a helicopter to descend on the cargo ship, according to officials.
The ship’s seizure resembles others previously conducted by Iran, which has long armed the Houthis.
In the last month, U.S. warships intercepted missiles or drones from Yemen believed to be headed toward Israel.
The USS Carney intercepted three land-attack cruise missiles and drones launched by Houthi forces toward the northern Red Sea last month. On Nov. 15, the USS Thomas Hudner shot down a drone reported to have originated in Yemen.
Satellite tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the Associated Press (AP) showed the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea southwest of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, over a day ago. The vessel had been in Korfez, Türkiye and was on its way to Pipavav, India, at the time of the seizure reported by Israel.
The ship had its Automatic Identification System tracker, or AIS, switched off, according to the data, which is against safety regulations. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations put the hijacking about 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Yemen’s port city of Hodeida, near the coast of Eritrea.
The Red Sea, a key trade route for global shipping and energy supplies, has seen increased military presence since the start of the Israel-Palestine conflict on Oct. 7.
Since 2019, as Iran breached the limits of its nuclear deal, ships have come under attack at sea. As Israel intensifies its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, concerns have grown that the military operations could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
The Houthis have previously threatened to target Israeli ships in the waters off Yemen, aligning with their Iranian benefactors and strengthening their position in Yemen’s ongoing civil war.
Analysts suggest that the Houthis view the conflict between Israel and Palestine as an opportunity to deflect domestic criticism.
