Yemen's Iranian-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, Houthi-affiliated Al-Masira TV reported. reported.
The newspaper announced on Wednesday that the crew had been handed over to Oman “in coordination” with a three-day 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 boarded Houthi forces at sea on November 19, 2023, shortly after the outbreak of war in Gaza, and was 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 UN special envoy for Yemen, said in a statement. Ta.
“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 news came as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order designating the Houthis again as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
When former President Joe Biden takes over from President Trump in 2021, aid groups say they need to pull out of Yemen because of their obligation to deal with rebels who have effectively taken control of the government in large areas. In response to concerns, he lifted the designation. The area includes the capital Sanaa.
However, weeks after the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in support of the Palestinians. They also declared US and UK interests to be “legitimate targets”.
They sank two ships, captured another, and killed at least four sailors.
In response, the Biden administration last year placed the Houthis back on the list of “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” groups. Even this slightly looser classification allowed humanitarian aid to reach the war-torn country, one of the world's poorest.
Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing companies to reroute long and expensive shipments 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.
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
