Threat of attacks
According to media reports, Iran-backed Houthi rebels hijacked a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen and took several hostages. Rebels took control aboard the car transporter “Galaxy Leader,” Saudi news channel al-Hadath reported on Sunday. The Houthi rebels had already threatened to attack “all ships” linked to Israel.
19/11/2023 18.24
Online since today, 6:24 pm
According to Israeli media reports, the ship is partly owned by British-Israeli businessman Rami Ungar. The approximately 190 meter long “Galaxy Leader” was built in 2002 and sails under the Bahamian flag.
An Israeli army spokesman spoke of a “very serious incident with global reach”. The cargo ship was on its way from Turkey to India with an international crew on board. There are no Israeli citizens on board. He emphasized that it was “not an Israeli ship.”
Israel sees “act of Iranian terrorism”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office directly blamed Iran for the attack. “We strongly condemn the Iranian attack on an international vessel,” a spokesperson said. There are reportedly 25 crew members on the ship, including people from Ukraine, Bulgaria and Mexico, as well as the Philippines. “This is another act of Iranian terrorism.”
Announced attacks
Shortly before, the Houthis had threatened similar actions: from now on, all ships flying the Israeli flag, owned by Israeli companies or operated by Israeli companies are a target, said spokesman Jahja Sari. The rebels called on all countries in the world to stop sending compatriots to crew these ships and to stop doing business with them. The reason for the change is “Israeli-American aggression” in the Gaza Strip.
The spokesman justified the hijacking of the ship with the “moral obligation towards the oppressed Palestinian people”. All ships with links to the “Israeli enemy” would become “legitimate targets,” he said. “If the international community is concerned about the security and stability of the region and does not want to worsen the conflict, it should stop Israel’s aggression against Gaza.”
Rockets fired at Israel
In recent weeks, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed to have fired drones and missiles several times from the southern Arabian Peninsula toward Israel. The Houthis have significantly expanded their weapons arsenal in recent years. Rebel leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi threatened in a speech in recent days that he would search “all Israeli ships in the Red Sea.”
Yemen is located in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. One of the most important shipping routes in the world passes through it to and from the Suez Canal in Egypt. This canal connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, providing the shortest sea route from Asia to Europe. It remains to be seen what such attacks mean for international shipping.