Yemeni Houthi sailor detained for more than a year in Israel-Hamas war

DUBAI—Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, more than a year after seizing the Bahamian-flagged ship off Yemen’s Red Sea coast, the Houthi-owned al-Houthi rebels say. -Mashira TV reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said the crew was handed over to Oman “in coordination” with a three-day-old ceasefire in the Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

“The release of the Galaxy Leader crew took place within the framework of solidarity with Gaza and support for the ceasefire agreement,” the Houthi Supreme Political Council was quoted as saying.

The car carrier’s owner, Galaxy Maritime, said the crew consisted of 25 people from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania. The ship was chartered by Japan’s NYK Line.

The Galaxy Leader was boarded by Houthi forces at sea on November 19, 2023, shortly after the outbreak of war in Gaza, and then escorted to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeidah in North Yemen.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Monday that the group, officially known as Ansar Allah, is ready to act if Israel violates the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

“We remain ready to intervene immediately should Israel’s enemies attempt to escalate, commit genocidal crimes, or re-intensify the siege of the Gaza Strip.”

“The release of the Galaxy Leader crew is heartwarming news that brings an end to the arbitrary detention and isolation that they and their families have endured for more than a year,” Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, said in a statement. said.

“This is a step in the right direction and I urge Ansar Allah to continue positive measures on all fronts, including ceasing all maritime attacks,” Grundberg said.

The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships sailing in the Red Sea since November 2023, and have expressed solidarity with the Palestinians against Israel’s devastating air and ground war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He claimed to be acting. They sank two ships, captured another, and killed at least four sailors.

The attack has disrupted global shipping, forcing companies to reroute long and expensive routes around southern Africa for more than a year.

“Innocent seafarers must not become collateral victims of broader geopolitical tensions,” International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said in a statement.

“We call on all countries to support seafarers and shipping to ensure that something like this never happens again,” the International Chamber of Shipping said in a statement.