(Daily Mail) A terrifying video shows the moment Iran-backed Houthi rebels have stormed a cargo ship part-owned by an Israeli tycoon.
Footage filmed by the rebels shows them approaching the Bahaman-flagged ‘Galaxy Leader’ ship in the southern Red Sea via helicopter yesterday, with several heavily-armed fighters being dropped off on deck.
The cargo ship travelled south past the Arabian peninsula on its way to India. It is registered under a British company which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar and is currently leased out to a Japanese company, according to reports.
The Houthi rebels approached the bridge with their weapons drawn as crew members on the bridge can be seen holding up their hands in surrender. One of the fighters was filmed walking through the ship while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’.
This comes as the ship’s owner, Isle of Man registered Galaxy Maritime Ltd, said that the vessel is now in the Hodeidah port in Yemen.
Footage filmed by the rebels shows them approaching the Bahaman-flagged ‘Galaxy Leader’ ship in the southern Red Sea via helicopter yesterday, with several heavily-armed fighters being dropped off on deck (pictured above)
The cargo ship (pictured) travelled south past the Arabian peninsula on its way to India . It is registered under a British company which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar and is currently leased out to a Japanese company, according to reports
The Houthi rebels approached the bridge with their guns drawn as crew members on the bridge can be seen holding up their hands in surrender. One of the fighters was filmed walking through the ship while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ (pictured above)
All communications were subsequently lost with the vessel. The company, as a shipping concern, will not be commenting further on the political or geopolitical situation,’ the company said in a statement.
The Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader’s crew is made up of nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, Galaxy Maritime said. The vessel is chartered by Japan’s Nippon Yusen.
‘Owners and managers believe the seizure of this vessel represents a gross violation of freedom of passage for the world fleet and a serious threat to international trade,’ Galaxy Maritime said.
It added that the ‘key concern at this time is the safety and security of the 25 crew members currently being held by the perpetrators of this criminal act’.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have said there are no citizens from the Jewish state on board and the organisation denied the ship was Israeli, but called it a ‘grave incident’.
According to one rebel official and maritime source, the ship was seized by the revels and diverted to a Houthi-controlled coastal area in Yemen.
It came after the militia – which has fought a bloody civil war against the Yemeni government since the 1990s – vowed to attack ships in retaliation for Israel‘s response to the October 7 attacks.
The rebel group released a chilling warning that it would strike ships this week – with a slick video presented by rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi complete with graphics of vessels burning and sinking after being struck by militia fighters.
Meanwhile two commercial ships that diverted their course in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden were connected to the same maritime group whose vessel was seized by Yemen’s Houthis, according to shipping data and British maritime security company Ambrey.
