Yemen's Houthis Seize Israeli-Rented Cargo Vessel Galaxy Leader in Red Sea - Source

CAIRO (Sputnik) - Yemen's rebel Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, on Sunday seized the Galaxy Leader commercial ship in the Red Sea, which is believed to belong to an Israeli company, a source in the movement told Sputnik.

"The movement's forces used boats to intercept and board a commercial vessel called Galaxy Leader off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea," the source said.

"The movement took the ship to the areas under its control in Al Hudaydah province in western Yemen," the source said, adding that they were interrogating the ship's 25-member crew.

Hezam al-Asad, a member of the Yemeni group’s political bureau, told Sputnik that the Houthis were treating the crew "in accordance with Islamic values and principles."

"If they are not Israelis, they will be treated as guests," al-Asad said.

The Houthis warned that they would target Israeli-owned and Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea until Israel ended aggression against the Gaza Strip.

The office of Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu denied there were Israeli citizens on board the ship.

"Onboard the vessel are 25 crew members of various nationalities including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino and Mexican. No Israelis are onboard," the press statement read.

Netanyahu’s office claimed that the captured ship was owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese firm. It accused Iran of instructing the Houthi militia to hijack the vessel.