Houthi rebels reportedly captured an Israeli-linked cargo ship in a strategic Red Sea shipping route on Sunday, as asserted by Israel, which alleges Iran’s involvement. The vessel is believed to be owned by a company affiliated with one of Israel’s wealthiest individuals. This development raises concerns about the Israeli-Gaza conflict expanding to a new maritime front.
The Tehran-backed Houthis had previously issued threats to target Israeli-affiliated vessels in the Red Sea. NBC News cited three US officials claiming that the rebels used a helicopter in the seizure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reported that the hijacked Bahamas-flagged ship had 25 crew members of various nationalities, excluding Israelis. The Houthis declared, “All ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or that deal with it will become legitimate targets.”
Israeli authorities stated that the ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated. However, public shipping databases indicate that the vessel’s ownership is linked to Ray Car Carriers, founded by Abraham “Rami” Ungar, one of Israel’s wealthiest individuals.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations placed the hijacking approximately 90 miles off the coast of Yemen’s port city of Hodeida, near the Eritrean coast, according to satellite tracking data on MarineTraffic.com, which revealed the ship’s Automatic Identification System tracker had been turned off.
