As missiles fly, warnings for mariner safety follow in Red Sea region

In the last week, as Israel has taken tentative steps toward de-escalation in its war with Hamas with hostage exchanges and a fragile cease-fire agreement holding, for now, in Gaza, commercial ship crews have faced attacks and vessel seizures while transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen.

Product tanker Central Park, part of Israel-born Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime fleet, was boarded by a team of five armed attackers, according to the United States military’s Central Command. The ship sent out a distress call and US military intervention forced the attackers to release the vessel and attempt to flee.

Shortly after the attackers were aprehended, Central Park apparently took fire, with two ballistic missiles the US Pentagon said were fired from Houthi-controlled areas in war-torn Yemen landing within 10 nautical miles of the vessel.

"The distress signal is received; the coalition ships and aircraft surround Central Park. They demand the release of the vessel. The five armed individuals flee on a small boat. They are chased by the VBSS team, apprehended and detained. The VBSS then boards Central Park, clears the ship, ensures that it’s good to go; makes contact with the crew. The crew is safe. And the ship is back under power. About an hour and a half after they have boarded Central Park... was when the two missiles were fired, which landed in the water, 10 nautical miles near the vicinity of the two ships," US Brigadier General Pat Ryder said.

Although the Pentagon said in the press conference "initial indications" are the five attackers are Somali, a drone attack just two days earlier on Eyal Ofer’s brother Idan’s 15,264-TEU Eastern Pacific Shipping container vessel CMA CGM Symi was suspected to have closer ties to Iran, which supports Hamas through weapons deals and military training and, similarly, Yemen’s Houthis.

The drone attack followed the first clear attack on Israel-linked vessels since the outbreak of Israel’s war against Hamas. A week prior to the drone attack, pure car and truck carrier Galaxy Leader, owned by the Israeli Abraham Rami Ungar-controlled Ray Car Carriers, was hijacked and taken, with its 25 crew, to Yemen. The ship was being operated by Japan’s NYK Line and its crew members came from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico.