Houthi rebels' helicopters and speedboats seize Israeli billionaire's cargo ship in the Red Sea. (Source: RT)
Sputnik cited a video released by the Houthi rebels on November 20 showing that this force used armed helicopters and many speedboats to surround and capture the cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on November 19.
The nearly four-minute video shows a helicopter gunship painted with Yemeni and Palestinian flags flying within a few meters of the Galaxy Leader’s deck. Gunmen then board the ship. Houthi forces quickly take control of the ship’s bridge and arrest the Galaxy Leader’s crew.
Videos show several Houthi speedboats moving around the Galaxy Leader after it was captured.
Also from the video posted by Houthi, the Galaxy Leader ship was not carrying any cargo at the time of its capture.
The incident occurred while the ship was en route from Türkiye to India, with 25 crew members of various nationalities on board, including Bulgaria, the Philippines, Mexico and Ukraine.
The Galaxy Leader cargo ship is operated by NYK, a Tokyo-based shipping and logistics company, and owned by British company Ray Shipping. However, ownership details in public records show that the Galaxy Leader’s owner is linked to Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, one of Israel’s richest men. Ungar confirmed to the AP that he was aware of the incident but could not comment as he was awaiting further details.
After the Houthis announced the capture of the Galaxy Leader, the Israeli military issued a statement saying there were no Israelis on board the Galaxy Leader and that the ship was “not an Israeli vessel.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the incident “an Iranian attack on a cargo ship in international waters.”
Meanwhile, Iran has denied any involvement in Houthi activities in the Red Sea, saying Israel should accept the fact that it has “failed” in its war against the Palestinians.
After the incident, the Houthi forces also announced that they would continue to seize Israeli-related cargo ships in the Red Sea and vowed to continue military operations against Tel Aviv until Israel stopped its "aggression" against the Palestinians.
Tra Khanh (Source: Sputnik)
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