Yemen has released the 25-member crew of the British-owned cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which was seized in support of the Palestinians shortly after Israel launched its genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. Yemen’s Supreme Political Council announced the release of the Galaxy Leader crew, who were detained on November 19, 2023. It said the move was in support of the ceasefire in Gaza on Sunday. The crew consists of 25 citizens from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania. The Bahamas-flagged cargo ship was seized by Ansar Allah, targeting ships owned by the Israeli government or heading to Israeli ports in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. The Ansar Allah resistance group has carried out more than 100 attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea, while also carrying out attacks in the Mediterranean. Ansar Allah leader Abdul Malik Houthi said on Monday that the resistance group would resume attacks on Israel if Tel Aviv violates the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump has officially designated Yemen’s Ansar Allah resistance movement as a foreign terrorist organization, giving the group the same status it previously had at the end of the Biden administration. The US designated Ansar Allah a terrorist organization after the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, following attacks on US Navy warships and Israeli-aligned ships in the region. The White House claimed in a statement that the Houthis’ activities threaten the security of US citizens and personnel in the Middle East, the security of America’s close regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade.
The White House also said that Ansar Allah has attacked commercial ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait more than 100 times, killing at least four sailors and forcing several ships to change course in the Red Sea, which has increased global inflation. The policy of the US government under President Trump is to take all possible measures to eliminate the capabilities and operations of the Houthis with its regional partners. The White House order directs the US Agency for International Development to end its affiliation with organizations that have provided financial support to the group or resisted measures to counter it. Under the new directive, Secretary of State Marco Rubio must report to the president within 30 days after consulting with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of the Treasury on the nomination of Ansar Allah, in accordance with US law. Earlier, a group of 15 US senators proposed a new task force to counter the Yemeni resistance organization. It had emphasized a strategic approach, advocated its re-designation as an FTO, and recommended steps to reduce its capabilities in the Red Sea.