The Israeli army confirmed on Sunday that the hijacking of a cargo ship by the Yemeni Houthi group in the southern Red Sea is a “very serious incident at the global level.”
According to a statement by the spokesperson of the Israeli army, the ship “is not Israeli, nor does it carry Israelis.”
“The incident of the hijacking of a transport ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the Red Sea is considered a serious incident at the global level. The ship is not Israeli. The talk is about a ship that set off from Turkey on its way to India with an international crew on board and no Israelis.”
#عاجل حادث اختطاف سفينة النقل من قبل الحوثيين بالقرب من اليمن في البحر الأحمر يعتبر حادثًا خطيرًا على المستوى العالمي. السفينة ليست اسرائيلية فالحديث عن سفينة انطلقت من تركيا في طريقها الى الهند وعلى متنها طاقم دولي دون أي إسرائيلي.
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 19, 2023
The statement added that “ship that set off from Turkey on its way to India with an international crew (…).”
The Israeli army’s statement came after the Houthi group announced on Sunday that they would target all types of ships carrying the Israeli flag, ships operated by Israeli companies, or those owned by Israeli companies, “due to the aggression Israel is inflicting on the Gaza Strip..” against Hamas terrorists.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned what he described as “the Iranian terrorist attack on an international ship,” anticipating an “escalation of Tehran’s aggression.”
ندين بشدة الهجوم الإيراني على سفينة دولية.
السفينة مملوكة من قبل شركة بريطانية ويتم تشغيلها من قبل شركة يابانية. تم اختطافها بتوجيهات إيرانية من قبل ميليشيا الحوثي في اليمن.
يوجد على متن السفينة 25 فردًا يحملون جنسيات مختلفة، ومنهم أوكرانيون وبلغاريون وفلبينيون ومكسيكيون.
لا…
— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) November 19, 2023
The Israeli government’s statement, published by its spokesperson on platform X, mentioned that the “ship is owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese company. It was hijacked under Iranian directions by the Houthi militia in Yemen.”
The statement further noted that “there are 25 individuals of various nationalities on board, including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino, and Mexican, and there are no Israelis on the ship.”
