Yemen’s Houthis seize India-bound cargo ship in Red Sea, says Israel

The Israeli military on Sunday said that a Turkey bound cargo ship for India was hijacked by Yemen's Houthis rebels in the Red Sea.

Taking to X, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that it was a "very grave incident of global consequence". Reportedly, Houthis said that they seized an Israeli ship and taken it to the Yemeni Port.

"The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very grave incident of global consequence. The ship departed Turkey on its way to India, staffed by civilians of various nationalities, not including Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship," said IDF.

Around 25 crew members belonging to various nations are on the ship. It is not confirmed yet if any Indians are on board.

According to Prime Minister of Israel's office, nationals from including Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Filipino and Mexican were onboard the ship.

"Israel strongly condemns the Iranian attack against an international vessel. The ship, which is owned by a British company and is operated by a Japanese firm, was hijacked with Iran guidance by the Yemenite Houthi militia," read the statement by Israel PM's office.

"This is another act of Iranian terrorism and constitutes a leap forward in Iran's aggression against the citizens of the free world, with international consequences regarding the security of the global shipping lanes," it added.

According to The Times of Israel, the Bahaman-flagged vessel is registered under a British company, which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar. 

Amid Israel-Hamas war, Houthis vowed to target Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea. Houthi rebels controlling northern Yemen had called for the destruction of Israel.