The 25 crew members β who include mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Mexico β were seen smiling and giving thumbs-up poses in photos as they were delivered to safety. Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Grundberg also urged the rebel group to end their maritime assaults that have plagued the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for months. During one of their first attacks, the Houthis said they hijacked the Galaxy Leader over its connection to Israel. Harrowing video released by the rebels showed the rebels mount a helicopter-borne raid on the ship, with the footage serving as propaganda footage for the Houthis, who even shot a music video aboard the Galaxy Leader.
Although the Houthis claimed that they would only target ships affiliated with Israel, they mounted more than attacks on foreign commercial ships, cutting traffic in the key global transportation route by half. Following the start of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal, the Houthis announced that they would limit their attacks in the Red Sea to only Israeli-affiliated ships, but warned that wider assaults could resume if needed.
As he returned to office on Monday, Trump signed an order urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reinstate a foreign terrorist organization designation on the Houthis. Yemen's Houthis freed 25 Galaxy Leader crew members on Wednesday. Members of the Galaxy leader smiled as they traveled in a bus after their release on Wednesday. The Galaxy Leader was seized in November Houthi Movement via Getty Images. The Galaxy Leader was escorted by Houthi boats after they seized the ship in You are viewing 1 of 6 images Previous Image Next Image.
