The Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for seizing the ship, asserting that it was connected to Israel, and they are holding the crew hostage. They’ve threatened to target ships associated with or owned by Israelis until Israel concludes its campaign against Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
The Houthis declared all ships related to the Israeli enemy as legitimate targets. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned the act as an “Iranian act of terror,” while the Israeli military described the hijacking as a “very grave incident of global consequence.” The Houthi rebels claimed
Despite Israeli officials asserting that the ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated, public shipping databases link the ship’s ownership to Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, one of the wealthiest individuals in Israel. Ungar acknowledged awareness of the incident but refrained from commenting until more details emerged. The complex nature of international shipping involves intricate networks of management companies, flags, and owners spread across the globe for a single vessel.
The Houthis seized the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea, descending onto the cargo ship from a helicopter. The 25-member crew, with various nationalities, is being held by the rebels. Israeli media previously associated another ship linked to Abraham Ungar with an explosion in the Gulf of Oman in 2021, blaming Iran for the incident. Two U.S. defense officials confirmed the Houthi takeover of the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea.
Twice in the last month, U.S. warships have intercepted missiles or drones from Yemen that were believed to be headed toward Israel or posing a threat to the American vessels. The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, intercepted three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces toward the northern Red Sea last month.