On November 19, 2023, soldiers from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, known as the Huthis, seized a cargo ship sailing in the Red Sea due to its part ownership by a wealthy Israeli. A few days earlier, Ansar Allah’s military leader had announced on Twitter/X that the Huthis would target ships with any Israeli connection. He warned states to remove their crews from such ships and to avoid handling these vessels.

Within hours, the Huthis had used one of their few helicopters and fast boats to capture the Galaxy Leader and take it back to a location on the Red Sea coast in the vicinity of Hodeida, leaving the usual complex international ownership and management system in the world of shipping to try to negotiate the release of crew and ship.

Since the beginning of the genocidal Israeli assault on Gaza in October, the Huthis have been loud and clear in their support of Palestinians, lobbing a series of missiles and drones in Israel’s direction. The military impact of such attacks has been trivial, as these projectiles have been intercepted either by the US Navy in the Red Sea or Israel’s own defenses.