Houthi rebels seize ship in Red Sea, take 25 sailors hostage

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they had seized the ship with Israeli links and would continue to target ships in international waters that were involved in or owned by Israelis until Israel ended its operations against Hamas in Gaza.

Houthi rebels attack ship in the South China Sea, take 25 sailors hostage photo 1 — The ship was captured by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Photo: Reuters

“All Israeli or related vessels will become legitimate targets,” the Houthi forces said:

Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis' chief negotiator and spokesman, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand “the language of force.”

“The capture of the Israeli ship is a practical step that demonstrates the seriousness of the Yemeni armed forces in conducting the battle at sea, regardless of the costs and expenses,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the 25 crew members were of various nationalities, including Bulgarian, Filipino, Mexican and Ukrainian, but there were no Israelis on board.

The Houthis said they treated the crew members “in accordance with their Islamic values,” but did not elaborate on what that meant.

Israeli officials confirmed that the ship was British-owned and operated by a Japanese unit.

Two US defense officials confirmed that Houthi rebels seized the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on the afternoon of November 19 local time. The officials said the rebels boarded the cargo ship by jumping from a helicopter.

Hoang Nam (according to Reuters)

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