Yemen's Houthi rebels release crew of commercial vessel seized in Red Sea in November 2023

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war. The rebels said Wednesday they released the sailors after mediation by Oman. The crew of 25 included mariners from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel. On Monday, the Houthis signaled they now will limit their attacks in the corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships after the Gaza ceasefire but warned wider assaults could resume if needed.