Did Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Hijack an Israeli-owned Car Carrier in the Red Sea?

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have hijacked the Galaxy Leader, an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea and took 25 crew members hostage on Sunday (no Israeli citizens among them).

The ownership structures in the maritime sector are notoriously opaque. But the the UK-insured, Island of Man-owned, Greek-managed, Bahama-flag carrying container ship that has been seized near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait container ship was traced back to the Israeli Unger family.

The Netanyahu government and Israeli military originally denied Israeli ownership, but the the channel What’s going on in Maritime? dove into the “slug fest of international shipping rights” and identified the Tel Aviv-based Unger family.

According to AP, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesman, later added in an online statement that the Israelis only understand “the language of force.”

Stay tuned to this story to find out who will come to the rescue of the crew of this ghost ship.

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