Houthis Say The Fate Of Hijacked 'Ship And Its Crew Are In The Hands Of Hamas': Report
Houthis said the return of the crew members of Galaxy ship is in the hands of Hamas, as per media report. The Japan owned Galaxy Leader cargo ship was hijacked by the Houthis in November. According to CNN, Houthis said the release of the 25 crew members who were on board during the time of hijack lies in the hands of Hamas.
The Yemeni group hijacked the Galaxy Leader on November 19 from the Red Sea. The crew members included 17 Filipinos, w two Bulgarians, Three Ukrainians, two Mexicans and a Romanian hostage. According to a senior Filipino government official, it’s been more than 116 days since they were taken as hostages and there are no indications of the Houthis releasing them until the current Israel-Hamas war ends.
The Filipino Foreign Affairs official, Eduardo de Vega said that there isn’t much that can be done for the crew members, because the word they had got from Houthis was that they will be holding the ship and all the crew members will be held until the hostilities in Gaza ends.
CNN said Houthis reported about handing over the decision about the release of the crew men of Galaxy Leader to Hamas. “The ship and its crew are in the hands of the brothers in the Hamas resistance movement and the Al-Qassam Brigades… we have no claims of our own regarding this vessel”, said Houthis spokesperson Nasr Al-Din Amer, as quoted by CNN.
A video, which was released shortly after the capture of the cargo ship showed Houthi commanders greeting the crew men and promising to treat them better. One of the Houthi members was heard as saying, “anything that you need we are ready to provide it for you”.
According to De Vega, the crew is being fed properly, with some even reporting about weight gain, and there are no indications of violence. It is said that the crew members are allowed a brief weekly calls to their families. The identity of the hostages are still kept away from the public.
De Vega said most of the crew members, including the all of the Filipinos are being held in the ship itself, and they have freedom to move around the deck. Some other crew members have been held at shores at times.
