JERUSALEM: Yemen’s Houthi rebels hijacked a cargo ship linked to Israel in a key Red Sea shipping route on Sunday, officials said, taking more than two dozen crew hostage and raising fears that regional tensions are escalating over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. takes place on a new maritime front.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they seized the ship because of its ties to Israel and held the crew hostage. The group warned that it would continue to target ships in international waters linked to or owned by Israel until the end of Israel’s campaign against the Hamas rulers in Gaza.
“All ships belonging to Israel’s enemies or dealing with them will be legitimate targets,” the Houthis said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has blamed the Houthis for the attack on the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader, a trucking company affiliated with an Israeli billionaire. It said the 25 crew members were of various nationalities, including Bulgaria, the Philippines, Mexico and Ukraine, but no Israelis were on board.
The Houthis said they treated the crew “according to their Islamic values,” but did not explain what that meant.
Netanyahu’s office denounced the seizure as “an act of Iranian terrorism.” The Israeli military called the seizure “a very serious incident of global consequence.”
Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized a cargo ship linked to Israel in the vital Red Sea shipping route on Sunday.AP
Israeli officials insist the ship is British-owned and operated by Japan. However, ownership details in the public shipping database link the ship’s owner to Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, known as one of Israel’s richest men.
Ungar told The Associated Press he was aware of the incident but could not comment because he was awaiting details. A ship linked to it exploded in 2021 in the Gulf of Oman. Israeli media blamed Iran at the time.
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The complex world of international shipping often involves a series of management companies, flags and owners spanning the globe on a single ship.
Two US defense officials confirmed that Houthi rebels seized the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on Sunday evening local time. Rebels descended on the cargo ship by retreating from a helicopter, the official said, confirming details first reported by NBC News. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Twice in the past month, US warships have intercepted missiles or drones from Yemen that are believed to be headed for Israel or pose a threat to American ships. The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, intercepted three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones launched by Houthi forces into the northern Red Sea last month.
Netanyahu’s office denounced the seizure as “an act of Iranian terrorism.” The Israeli military called the seizure “a very serious incident of global consequence.”AP
On November 15, the USS Thomas Hudner, another destroyer, was sailing towards the Bab-el-Mandeb strait when the crew spotted a drone, reportedly from Yemen. The ship shot down the drone on the water. Officials said the crew took action to ensure the safety of US personnel, and there were no casualties or damage to the ship.
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Satellite tracking data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP showed the Galaxy Leader traveling in the Red Sea southwest of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, more than a day ago. The ship had been in Korfez, Turkey, and was en route to Pipavav, India, at the time of the seizure reported by Israel.
It had its Automatic Identification System, or AIS, tracker turned off, the data showed. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn it off if it appears they might be targeted or smuggling contraband, which there was no immediate evidence to suggest was the case with the Galaxy Leader.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which issued warnings to sailors in the Persian Gulf and the wider region, placed the seizure as having taken place about 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, near the Eritrean coast.
The Red Sea, stretching from Egypt’s Suez Canal to the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, remains a major trade route for global shipping and energy supplies. That is why the US Navy has stationed several ships at sea since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
Since 2019, a series of ships have been attacked at sea as Iran begins to violate all the limits of its tattered nuclear deal with world powers. As Israel widens its campaign of destruction against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip following an unprecedented attack by the militant group on southern Israel, fears have grown that the military operation could escalate into a wider regional conflict.
The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to target Israeli ships in Yemeni waters.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
