Houthi rebels from Yemen have seized a cargo ship that was travelling from Turkey to India. Israeli officials dubbed it an ‘act of Iranian terrorism’ with international implications. The development came amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that has claimed nearly 14,000 lives and strained diplomatic ties.
“The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence. The ship departed Turkey on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship,” the Israeli Defence Force said.
Contradictory reports have emerged about the ownership of the vessel and the Israeli military insists that it is not associated with the ship or its crew. A Jerusalem Post report citing Arab media identified it as an Israeli Ship named ‘Galaxy Leader’ that was reportedly leased from a British company to a Japanese company.
As per an AP report, ownership details in public shipping databases associated the ship’s owners with Ray Car Carriers. This was founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar – known as one of the richest men in Israel.
The rebel group also claimed to have seized an Israeli ship on Sunday before taking it to a Yemeni port. Reports citing Houthi officials also reiterated warnings that ships belonging to Israel or its supporters would be a legitimate target for the rebel forces.
A Bloomberg report quoting a spokesman said that the Houthis would continue to target Israeli ships until the military operation against Hamas ends. It also called on other countries to withdraw citizens working on such vessels.
According to the Israeli government, the 25 member crew of the seized cargo ship include people from Ukraine, Bulgaria, the Philippines and Mexico.
(With inputs from agencies)
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