Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Houthis’ hijacking of the Galaxy Leader. On Nov. 19, 2023, military personnel from the Yemeni group descended from a helicopter onto the Israeli-owned, Japanese-operated, India-bound commercial ship, before boarding and swiftly assuming control of the vessel. With Palestinian and Yemeni flags raised, they escorted the ship back to the Houthi-held port-town of Hudaydah, and its 25 crew members — mainly Filipino, but also Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian, and Mexican — were taken hostage.
Cinematic footage of the operation was widely shared on social media platforms, serving as a trailer for what was to come from the group, which is also known as Ansar Allah: belligerence both abroad and at home in response to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, and further entrenchment as a regional threat…..more
