Sanaa, Jan 22 (EFE).- Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the Yemen branch of the Palestinian group Hamas on Wednesday linked the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader vessel to the ceasefire agreement that took effect in Gaza on Sunday.
Hamas’s representative in Yemen, Moaz Abu Shamala, said in a live broadcast on Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV that “the release of the Galaxy Leader crew comes within the framework of our solidarity with Gaza and in of the ceasefire agreement.”
In his speech, he said that there was “good coordination” between Gaza and Yemen while thanking the Sultanate of Oman for its mediation and the Yemeni insurgents’ for the Palestinian cause.
The Houthi deputy prime minister for defense and security affairs, Jalal Ali Ali Al-Rowaishan, also said that Yemen was subjected to attempts and pressure to secure this release “but did not respond until the aggression on Gaza stopped.”
He also stressed the rebels’ for the Palestinian cause and their warning to resume attacks against Israel if the Israel Defense Forces resumes its offensive against Gaza.
“We confirm that if the Israeli enemy does not respect the signed agreements, Yemen, as the Houthi leader said, will monitor and closely observe the situation,” he said of the Yemeni rebels’ readiness to resume operations against Israeli territory.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al Busaidi confirmed on the arrival in Muscat of the 25 crew of the Galaxy Leader.
“As part of Oman’s ongoing humanitarian efforts regarding the situation of the Galaxy Leader ship crew in Yemen, the crew were released today and transported from Sanaa to Muscat in preparation for their repatriation,” a statement from state-owned Oman News Agency said on Wednesday..
The crew is made up of nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, according to the ship’s owner, Galaxy Maritime.
The Royal Air Force of Oman flight transported the crew from Sanaa to Muscat on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels freed the crew of the Galaxy Leader ship after more than a year of captivity in a coordinated operation with the Palestinian group Hamas and mediated by the Sultanate of Oman.
The Houthi attack on the cargo ship took place on Nov. 19, 2023, following weeks of rocket and drone launches by Yemeni insurgents against Israel in of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. EFE
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