THE 25 forgotten sailors from the hijacked British-Israeli cargo ship Galaxy Leader were captured by Houthi pirates six months ago.
The Yemeni government confirmed to The Sun that, despite repeated demands for their release, the militia group will not back down – and Iran is to blame.
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The $50 million ship was hijacked by Iranian-sponsored Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on November 19.
Its entire international crew was taken hostage in what armed men clinging to the sides of a helicopter screamed to be revenge for Israel’s war in Gaza.
The car carrier was taken back to Hodeidah in Houthi-controlled north Yemen as a trophy to taunt the West, and supporters of the militants flocked to the site to share the spoils of war.
But the fate of the 25 sailors – most from the Philippines, as well as Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Mexico – remains in the hands of the terrorist group.
Despite having nothing to do with the conflict, today marks six painful months of their detention.
A Yemeni Foreign Ministry spokesperson told The Sun: “The terrorist militia still refuses to release any of them after half a year of captivity as hostages.
“The Yemeni government has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to secure the release of the hostages.
“Despite international appeals and condemnations from the United Nations Security Council, the Houthi terrorist militia has not responded to any humanitarian appeals for their release.
“We firmly believe that the most effective approach to securing the hostages’ release is to exert pressure on the Iranian regime, as it holds significant influence over decisions made by Houthi terrorist militias.”
The spokesperson confirmed that those detained include 17 Filipinos, two Bulgarians, three Ukrainians, two Mexicans and one Romanian.
Their identities were hidden from the public.
After the hijacking, a video was released by the Houthis showing their commanders greeting the crew.
“Anything you need, we are ready to provide,” one of them is heard telling the hostages in the clip.
Nothing has been seen of them since.
Philippine diplomatic sources said they do not expect the captives to be released until Israel’s war in Gaza ends.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels have spent months terrorizing the Red Sea, launching persistent missile and drone attacks on shipping and warships – but who are they?
The Shiite militant group that now controls large swathes of Yemen has spent more than a decade largely ignored by the world.
However, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, they have come out of relative obscurity and held around £1 billion of world trade hostage – turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into an active war zone.
Their distorted battle cry is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam.”
Why are they attacking ships?
In October, the rebel group began launching relentless drone and missile attacks against any ships – including warships – that it considered to be linked to Israel, in solidarity with its ally Hamas.
In reality, they targeted commercial ships with little or no connection to Israel – forcing global shipping to largely halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices soaring around the world.
The sea attacks added to the carnage in the Middle East’s powder keg, as the intense repercussions of Israel’s war in Gaza were felt across the region – with Iran accused of fueling the chaos.
Houthi leaders promised that their attacks in the Red Sea would continue until Israel stopped its offensive in Gaza.
The group’s leaders have previously said their main targets are Israel and its allies, the US and Britain.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint attacks from the US and UK targeting its strongholds in Yemen, Iran’s terrorism proxy appears undeterred.
This week, the militant group claimed to have attacked a US destroyer in the Red Sea.
On Thursday, the ruthless “King of the Houthis”, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, promised once again that all ships bound for Israeli ports will be targeted for attacks – and not just in the Red Sea region.
Al-Houthi demanded that China, Russia, Asian and European countries stop transporting goods to Israeli ports.
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This week, a Red Cross delegation was allowed to visit the hostages in Hodeidah for the first time since they were detained – but did not release further details about their welfare.
In December, Isle of Man registered owner Galaxy Maritime Ltd demanded the return of its ship’s crew but said they appeared to be “well looked after”.
In a statement, they said: “The safety and well-being of crew continues to be the priority… and the modest contact that has been allowed with crew and their families suggests that seafarers are being treated as well as can be expected.” . in the circumstances.
“The 25 detained crew members have no connection with the current situation in the region,” he said.
“Nothing can be achieved by your additional detention.”
For now, the Leader of the Galaxy remains anchored in Hodeidah, draped in Yemeni and Palestinian flags and anti-American and anti-Israeli banners.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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