Houthis seize Israel-linked ship in Red Sea

Published November 21, 2023
The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released on Nov 20, 2023. —  Houthi Military Media/Handout via Reuters
The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is escorted by Houthi boats in the Red Sea in this photo released on Nov 20, 2023. — Houthi Military Media/Handout via Reuters

HODEIDA: Israeli ships are a “legitimate target”, Yemen’s Houthis warned on Monday, after their seizure of an Israel-linked cargo vessel opened a new dimension in the ongoing unrest in the region.

Sunday’s capture of the Galaxy Leader and its 25 international crew came days after the Houthis threatened to target Israeli shipping over the Israeli aggression against Gazans.

The Houthis, declaring themselves part of the “axis of resistance”, have also launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel.

“Israeli ships are legitimate targets for us anywhere…and we will not hesitate to take action,” Major General Ali Al-Moshki, a Houthi military official, told the group’s Al-Massirah TV station.

Analysts also said Houthi threats to shipping around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a choke-point at the foot of the commercially vital Red Sea, were likely to rise. The Bahamas-flagged, British-owned Galaxy Leader is operated by a Japanese firm but has links to Israeli businessman Abraham “Rami” Ungar.

Japan says ‘directly approaching’ Yemeni group; Iran denies involvement

Sunday’s ship seizure “is only the beginning,” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said on Sunday in a statement posted on X, pledging further maritime attacks until Israel halts its attacks on Gaza.

The Japanese government said that it “strongly condemns” the seizure of a Japanese-operated ship in the Red Sea. Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said Tokyo was “directly approaching the Houthis” as well as communicating with Israel.

“We are also urging Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran and other countries concerned to strongly urge the Houthis for the early release of the vessel and crew members,” she said.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu characterised the capture as an “Iranian attack against an international vessel”, an accusation dismissed by Iran.

“We have repeatedly announced that the resistance groups in the region represent their countries and make decisions and act based on the interests of their countries,” said Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani.

On Monday, Yemen’s Houthis released video footage showing armed men dropping from a helicopter and seizing a cargo ship in the southern Red Sea. The footage was released by the movement’s TV channel Al Masirah.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Trump 2.0
Updated 21 Jan, 2025

Trump 2.0

Few have forgotten how disruptive Trump could be as president. There has been little indication that his 2nd term will be any different.
GB’s status
21 Jan, 2025

GB’s status

THE demand raised by the people of Gilgit-Baltistan for constitutional clarity and provisional provincial status is...
Panda bond
Updated 21 Jan, 2025

Panda bond

ISLAMABAD’S plans to raise $200m from China’s capital markets through the inaugural issue of a Panda bond this...
At breaking point
Updated 20 Jan, 2025

At breaking point

The country’s jails serve as monuments to bureaucratic paralysis rather than justice.
Lower growth
20 Jan, 2025

Lower growth

THE IMF has slightly marked down its previous growth forecast for Pakistan’s economy from 3.2pc to 3pc for the...
Nutrition challenge
20 Jan, 2025

Nutrition challenge

WHEN a country’s children go hungry, its future withers. In Pakistan, where over 40pc of children under five are...