Yemeni naval forces seize Israeli-linked vessel

from thefreeonline on 19th Nov 2023 by Aletho News

The Cradle | November 19, 2023

Fifty-two crew members on an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea were detained by Yemeni naval forces who intercepted and seized the vessel on 19 October, sources told Al-Mayadeen.

An official Yemeni source confirmed to the outlet that the news is true. 

Saudi media also reported that Yemeni forces seized the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader vessel. According to Hebrew media reports, the ship is owned by a British company owned by Israeli businessman Abraham Unger, who goes by the name ‘Rami.’

Yemen’s Ansarallah to boycott US, Israeli goods … Experts estimate that some $80 million worth of Israeli products reach Yemen via the UAE each year

In an official statement, the Israeli army described the incident as “very serious” and clarified that the ship was not Israeli:

“The ship departed from Turkiye on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis.”

The Yemeni army is expected to release a statement later on Sunday.

Yemen’s Armed Forces, allied with the Ansarallah resistance movement, had announced earlier in a statement on 19 November that they would target all vessels associated with Israel in the Red Sea. 

“To provide relief to our oppressed people in Gaza,” the armed forces announced, “they will target … ships carrying the flag of the Zionist entity, ships operated by Israeli companies, ships owned by Israeli companies.” 

Yemen says attacks on Israel will persist for as long as siege on Gaza continues. — The Yemeni resistance has fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones toward southern Israel,

The Yemeni statement also calls on “all countries of the world to withdraw citizens working on the crews of these ships,” to “avoid shipping on or handling these vessels,” and to “inform ships to stay away from these vessels.” 

This is not the first statement issued by Ansarallah and the Yemeni army vowing to attack Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea. 

Israel bolsters Red Sea forces in response to Ansarallah threat

Less than one week ago, Ansarallah leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi said that “eyes are open,” and vowed to “monitor and locate Israeli ships in the Red Sea.” 

“We will continue to plan for additional operations. We can’t stop,” he said, adding that “we will not hesitate to target” Israeli-linked ships. 

The Yemeni resistance has been carrying out frequent drone and missile attacks against Israel, which it began last month in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance in Gaza. 

In response, the Israeli army has deployed warships to the Red Sea. 

According to Hebrew media reports, some of these attacks have been intercepted by Saudi Arabia and Jordan. 

Nonetheless, Yemen has vowed to continue attacking Israel. 

The Prime Minister of Yemen’s National Salvation Government (NSG), Abdulaziz bin Habtour, said on 10 November that Sanaa will continue to conduct attacks on Israel for as long as the ethnic cleansing campaign of Gaza continues.

Bin Habtour added that the attacks will continue despite possible setbacks to peace talks with the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, as fighting for Palestine is “a sacred duty for every Muslim and Arab.”

The Sanaa government has also decided to ban all US-made goods and those produced by international companies that support Israel’s occupation of Palestine.