Watan-The Houthi group, Ansar Allah, has revealed its conditions for releasing the Israeli ship seized off the coast of Yemen, in an operation that took place amid the Israeli war on Gaza.
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council in the Yemeni group, stated in a tweet on his “X” platform account: “If America and Israel stop killing Palestinians in Gaza and provide water, medicine, and food, then they can talk about the Israeli ship.
اذا اوقفت و كفت امريكا وإسرائيل عن قتل الفلسطينين في غزة وأدخلت الماء والدواء والغذاء
فعندها يمكن لها الحديث عن السفينة الإسرائيلية فما قامت به البحرية يتفق مع مبدئ التعامل بالمثل.#بايدن_قاتل_الاطفال_الخدج pic.twitter.com/twgDkNzXFR— محمد علي الحوثي (@Moh_Alhouthi) November 20, 2023
He added that the operation carried out by his group falls within the principles of reciprocity, according to his statement.
New Houthi Threat Emerges
In another tweet, the Houthi stated, “Our Yemeni naval forces serve as a defensive strength against the aggression’s warships, posing a threat only to ships of the Israeli entity and those owned by Israelis.”
إن قواتنا البحرية اليمنية قوة دفاعية ضد بوارج العدوان
ولا تهدد إلا سفن الكيان الإسرائيلي والمملوكة لإسرائيلين pic.twitter.com/veJ3WAG6sS
— محمد علي الحوثي (@Moh_Alhouthi) November 20, 2023
U.S. Response to the Ship Incident
In a related context, the United States has strongly condemned the Yemeni Houthi group’s seizure of the ship, describing it as a violation of international law. The U.S. has called for the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.
Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, stated in a press conference that the Houthi detention of the ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea constitutes a blatant violation of international law.
He added, “We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew, and we will consult with our allies and partners at the United Nations on appropriate next steps.”
Video Footage of the Seizure of the Israeli Ship
The Yemeni Houthi group broadcasted footage of the military operation through which they seized control of an Israeli ship in the Red Sea.
The footage revealed a helicopter landing on the ship‘s surface, with armed fighters from the group descending from the helicopter to carry out a deployment operation on the vessel. They then stormed the ship’s command room without encountering any resistance from the ship’s crew.
The voice of one of the group’s fighters was heard chanting, ‘Allahu Akbar… Death to America, death to Israel,’ as he roamed inside the ship.
In the final scene, the ship was seen moving, surrounded by a number of small boats that appeared to be affiliated with the group.
The Israeli Ship Being Towed to the Shores of Yemen
This comes after the Houthi group announced that they have towed an Israeli ship to the shores of Yemen. Meanwhile, the Israeli military deemed the incident extremely serious on a global scale, while the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office described it as an ‘Iranian terrorist act.