Yemen’s Houthi group announced on January 22, 2025, the release of the 25 crew members from the Galaxy Leader vessel, which had been seized by the group in November 2023. The release comes as part of efforts to support the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, following the mediation of Oman. The Houthi group stated that the move was coordinated with Hamas, as instructed by their leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi.
The Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel, was captured by Houthi fighters on November 19, 2023, while it was operating in international waters off Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah. The Houthi fighters took control of the vessel and forced it to dock at Hodeidah, where its crew was held hostage. The Houthi group justified the seizure as part of their broader support for Hamas in its ongoing conflict with Israel, a stance they have maintained through various military actions in the region.
Since November, the Houthis have targeted Israeli-linked ships and launched rocket and drone strikes against Israel, showing solidarity with Palestinians. However, on January 19, 2025, when the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement took effect, the Houthis reportedly paused their attacks on Israeli cities but threatened to continue targeting Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea.
This new development is believed to point at a major deescalation of attacks on shipping routes in the region and hopefully it would result in lesser attacks and easing of tension in the region as a whole.
Picture by Kristijan Bracun | Credit: AP CC BY 4.0
