Crew of Galaxy Leader freed after more than a year as hostages

The vessel and its crew have been held in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah since 19 November 2023, when Galaxy Leader was hijacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who control much of the country and attacked merchant vessels transiting the waterways near Yemen for more than a year with the aid of Iranian weapons and training.

More than 100 vessels have been targeted by Houthi missiles and drone attacks over the course of the last 12 months by most accounts. 

With ship crews in the line of fire and at risk of death or injury from missile and drone attacks while at work, IMO and others repeatedly called for release of the crew of Galaxy Leader throughout 2024.

Pure car and truck carrier Galaxy Leader, registered in the UK and owned by the Israeli Abraham Rami Ungar-controlled Ray Car Carriers, was being operated by Japan’s NYK Line and its crew members reportedly come from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico.

Many shipowners and operators altered shipping routes in response to Houthi attacks to take vessels around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope instead of through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, a difference of between one and two weeks for various cargoes and ship types.

The Iran-backed Houthis have waged attacks on commercial shipping since late November 2023, claiming the attacks come in reprisal for Israel’s bombing of Palestinian territories.

Crew killed and ships sunk in Houthi attacks

A Houthi missile that struck Barbados-flagged, 50,000-dwt True Confidence bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden in March 2024 took the lives of three mariners and left at least four others injured, three severely. 

Another seafarer’s life was taken in mid-June 2024 when 82,000-dwt bulk carrier Tutor was targeted in a Houthi drone and missile attack. The crew was forced to abandon ship, and the vessel was reportedly sunk in a follow-up attack.

On 2 March, Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier Rubymar sank in the Red Sea after being struck by a Houthi missile two weeks earlier on 18 February. According to US Centcom, the vessel had been slowly taking on water and drifting following the attack.

US Centcom said the 18 February missile attack had caused a 29-km oil slick to form around the vessel. The ship was carrying about 21,000 tonnes of fertiliser, CENTCOM said.

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