Cargo Vessel Hijacked by Yemeni forces in the Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi organization shared an image of the hijacked ship with the message "here we go" written in Arabic, English, and Hebrew following the seizure of the ship this morning.
The “Galaxy Leader”, a vehicle-carrying cargo ship, was successfully captured by Yemen’s Houthi group this morning in the Red Sea. Reports calling the ship Israeli are only partially correct. While it has been confirmed that the vessel has ties to both the UK and Israel, the Bahama-flagged ship has a varitey of different stakeholders and leasing contracts associated with various nations.
An official announcement was made on behalf of the Yemeni Armed Forces warning maritime companies internationally that Yemen intends to actively target any ships with links to Israel, recommending countries withdraw citizens and crew members. In regards to the Galaxy Leader, statements from Houthi leadership indicate that 5 Israeli citizens were on board and that all crew members who are not Israeli will be treated according to the cannons of Islamic hospitality.
“If the international community is concerned about the security and stability of the region and not expanding the conflict, it should stop the Israeli aggression against Gaza.”
-Sanaa, Jumada Al-Awwal 6, 1445 AH, Corresponding to November 19, 2023 AD, Issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces
Outside of the obvious precedent this sets for maritime security going forward, a key aspect of the incident is the reason it took place. Yemeni forces have made it clear that they will continue to carry out attacks of increasing intensity until Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip stops. The operations of the IDF have gone far beyond being a response to the attacks on October 7th, and leadership in the US, UK, and Israel have an obligation to protect their own citizens by heading Yemen’s warnings and respect international law by initiating a ceasefire.
-The Shultz Report by M. Shultz