An Israeli-linked cargo ship in the Red Sea was hijacked by Houthi rebels in Yemen and 25 crew members were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.
A spokesman for the Houthi group in Yemen confirmed On Sunday, the rebels captured the ship and took the crew members hostage because the ship had ties to Israel.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces reiterate their warning to all ships belonging to or related to the Israeli enemy that they will become a legitimate target for the armed forces,” Yahya Saree, Houthi military spokesman, wrote in a statement on X, previously known as Twitter.
The Iran-backed Houthis are currently in a ceasefire amid a civil war with the Yemeni government.
Saree said the armed forces would continue military operations against Israel until the country ends its campaign against the militant group Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on southern Israel last month. These attacks killed over 1,200 people, including hundreds of civilians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned the attack on the ship and claimed the Houthis were responsible.
“This is another act of Iranian terrorism and represents a step forward in Iran’s aggression against the citizens of the free world, with international consequences for the security of global shipping lanes,” the Prime Minister’s Office said wrote in a statement.
Netanyahu’s office said none of the 25 crew members on board were Israelis, but rather members of various nationalities, including Ukrainians, Filipinos and Mexicans.
Saree claims The “armed forces” treated the crew members “in accordance with their Islamic values,” without providing further details.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office claims The ship, named Galaxy Leader, is owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese company. But public shipping databases show the ship’s owners are linked to Ray Car Carriers, founded by Israeli billionaire Abraham “Rama” Ungar, the AP reported.
The incident is likely to further fuel concerns that third parties such as Iran and its proxies are using the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas to form a separate front against Israel and escalate the conflict in the region.
Israel responded to Hamas attacks on October 7 by bombing the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and recently stepped up ground attacks in the northern part of the enclave. According to the Hamas-led government in Gaza, over 13,000 Palestinians were killed in the violence. These figures cannot be independently verified.
“The hijacking of the motor ship Galaxy Leader by Houthi fighters in the Red Sea is a blatant violation of international law,” a U.S. military official told The Hill. “We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew.”
Sunday’s seizure followed at least two incidents in which U.S. warships intercepted missiles or drones from Yemen that were believed to be targeting Israeli or American ships. Last week, a U.S. Navy warship in the southern Red Sea shot down a drone that was heading toward the ship, according to the AP.
Last month, the Pentagon said a U.S. Navy destroyer had intercepted rocket fire from Houthi rebels, the Pentagon said.
This comes amid a reported increase in attacks on American troops and assets in the Middle East, which prompted the US to launch a series of retaliatory strikes against assets of Iran and its proxies.
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