Watan-The “Ikad” platform, specializing in investigating news and information from open sources, confirmed that the cargo ship seized by the Houthi rebels in the southern Red Sea is Israeli, contrary to the claims made by the Israeli occupation army and Hebrew newspapers that the ship is not Israeli.
The Israeli occupation army, describing the incident as extremely serious on the international level, indicated that the ship sailed from Turkey to India with a crew of multiple nationalities. There are no Israeli citizens on board this ship, and it is not Israeli.
The “Ikad” platform stated in a visual report posted on its account on the “X”-Twitter, previously, that after the announcement by the Houthi group on Sunday about the abduction of an Israeli ship, the media arms of the occupation denied any connection of the ship to Tel Aviv. They claimed that it is owned by a British company managed by a Japanese company.
#تحقُّق | حكومة الاحتلال تنفي أن تكون السفينة المختطفة من قبل الحوثي إسرائيلية.. لكن ما الحقيقة؟
@AvichayAdraaee @ofirgendelman#فيديو #إيكاد pic.twitter.com/vpb6eUsmWm
— EekadFacts | إيكاد (@EekadFacts) November 19, 2023
The ship is designed for transporting cars
In the investigation conducted by the “Ikad” team, it was revealed that the detained ship is named “Galaxy Leader” and is specifically designed for transporting cars, bearing the flag of the Bahamas.
Upon verifying its ownership, the team found an article published by the Polish company “Elhand,” confirming that the ship is affiliated with the Israeli registered company “Ray Shipping.”
The source continued to explain that, through a search in the data of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the existence of a company named Ray Shipping Limited with its headquarters in Tel Aviv became apparent.
It was further discovered that this company owns another entity named STANWICK EGUIPMENT LIMITED, which is owned by “Abraham Ongar,” also known as “Rami Ongar,” one of the largest car importers in Israel. Ongar is associated with influential figures and high-ranking military personnel in Israel.
According to the source, in 2017, the former head of Mossad, “Yossi Cohen,” intervened to defend Ongar in a commercial dispute. Additionally, Ongar acted as a mediator for Mossad to support international sanctions against Iran.
It is noteworthy that one of Ongar’s ships had previously experienced an explosion in the Gulf of Oman in 2021, with the cause remaining unclear. This further confirms the close connection of the detained ship with Israel.