Yemen's Houthi rebels say seized vessel owned by Israeli businessman

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said on Sunday that they had seized in the Red Sea a ship owned by an Israeli businessman and rerouted it towards the Yemeni coast.

The announcement came days after the rebel group threatened to target Israeli vessels in the waterway over Israel's war in the Gaza Strip.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that the rebels "seized an Israeli ship and took it to the Yemeni coast".

Israel, the US, and Japan have condemned the vessel's seizure.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the vessel was owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm.

Nippon Yusen, also known as NYK Line of Japan, confirmed to AFP that it operated the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader.

Maritime security company Ambrey said "the vehicles carrier's group owner is listed as Ray Car Carriers", whose parent company belongs to Abraham "Rami" Ungar, an Israeli businessman.

Houthi "forces will continue to carry out military operations against the Israeli enemy until the aggression against Gaza stops and the ugly crimes… against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza and the West Bank stop", Saree said.

A Yemeni maritime source said the Houthis had "seized a commercial vessel" and took it to the port of Salif in the coastal city of Hodeida, which the rebels control. The source did not specify the ship's nationality.

Israel's military, writing on X, said "the hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence".

It said the ship had left Turkey headed for India, and was "staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis", stressing: "It is not an Israeli ship".

Netanyahu's office characterised the capture as an "Iranian attack against an international vessel".

"The ship, which is owned by a British company and is operated by a Japanese firm, was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Houthi militia," it said.

"Onboard the vessel are 25 crew members of various nationalities including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino, and Mexican," it added.

Vital shipping route

A US military official said the seizure of the vessel "is a flagrant violation of international law".

"We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew. We will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps," the official said.

A spokesman for Nippon Yusen told AFP: "As to which company owns it, we are still trying to confirm it as rights issues related to ships are extremely complicated."

The Marine Traffic tracking site said the Galaxy Leader had "departed from Korfez, Turkey, and was on its way to Pipavav, India. Went offline on Saturday southwest of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia."

In Japan, government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said Tokyo "strongly condemns" the seizure of the ship.

On 14 November, Houthi rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said the group was on the lookout for Israeli vessels in the commercially vital waters of the Red Sea – even those that did not have Israeli flags.

"Our eyes are open to constant monitoring and searching for any Israeli ship," he said in a speech broadcast by the rebels' Al-Masirah TV station.

The Bab Al-Mandab Strait – a narrow pass between Yemen and Djibouti at the foot of the Red Sea – is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, and carries about a fifth of global oil consumption.

The Houthis, declaring themselves part of the "axis of resistance" of Iran-affiliated groups, have launched a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel since October, following the start of the Gaza war.

Analysts have said the goal of the rebels, who control Yemen's capital Sanaa and much of the country, is strategic rather than military as they seek regional and domestic legitimacy.