The Israel PMO reported that there are 25 crew members on the ship of varied nationalities and no Israelis are on board.
Israel claimed on Sunday {that a} cargo ship travelling to India had been taken over by the Houthi militia group in Yemen within the southern Red Sea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the hijacking of a world vessel by Iran-backed Houthis within the Red Sea and referred to as it a “very serious incident on the global scale.”
Taking to X, the Israeli PMO stated, “Israel strongly condemns the Iranian attack against an international vessel. The ship, which is owned by a British company and is operated by a Japanese firm, was hijacked with Iran’s guidance by the Yemenite Houthi militia.”
It additionally shared, “Onboard the vessel are 25 crew members of various nationalities including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino and Mexican. No Israelis are onboard.”
Condemning the hijack, it stated, “This is another act of Iranian terrorism and constitutes a leap forward in Iran’s aggression against the citizens of the free world, with international consequences regarding the security of the global shipping lanes.”
Israel Defence Force (IDF) stated that the ship was crusing from Turkey to India with a world civilian crew, with none Israelis aboard and added, “This is not an Israeli ship,” The Times of Israel reported.
Who are Houthis?
In the Nineteen Nineties, a Zaidi Shia Muslim motion referred to as the Houthis arose in northern Yemen. They have fought six wars with the Yemeni authorities since 2004 as a result of they reject the administration, which is dominated by Sunnis. They took over Sanaa, the capital, in 2014 and drove the federal government into exile. They have been engaged in a civil struggle with a coalition of Sunni Arab governments led by Saudi Arabia ever since.
The group has joined the militants of Hamas, with whom Israel has been at struggle since October 7, and has been utilizing long-range missiles and drone strikes in opposition to Israeli forces.
(with inputs from companies)
