The 25 crew members of the car carrier Galaxy Leader have been released and transferred to Oman after spending 430 days in Houthi captivity following their capture in the Red Sea in November 2023.
The Galaxy Leader, hijacked on November 19, 2023, became an early symbol of the Houthi campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea. This campaign saw widespread attacks, vessel damage, and loss of life.
The release follows the implementation of a Gaza ceasefire, now in its initial phase, and a recent announcement from the Iranian-backed Houthis indicating a scale-back of attacks on Red Sea shipping. However, the group maintains it will continue targeting vessels with Israeli connections until all ceasefire conditions are met.
The Houthis stated that the decision to free the crew came “at the request of Hamas and through our brothers in the Sultanate of Oman.”
Hamas representative in Yemen, Moaz Abu Shamala, confirmed the coordination between Yemen and Palestinian factions regarding the release.
The crew members hail from Bulgaria, Mexico, Romania, Ukraine, and the Philippines.
Seventeen of the hostages held onboard the Galaxy Leader were Filipino nationals. The news of their release was greeted with joy by Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“It is with utmost joy that, after more than a year of captivity in Yemen, I announce the safe release of all seventeen Filipino seafarers, together with the rest of the crewmembers of M/V Galaxy Leader,” President Marcos said in a statement.
“Our Filipino seafarers are now in the care of our Philippine Embassy in Muscat, Oman and will be reunited with their loved ones in the Philippines very soon,” he added.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez welcomed the development, calling it “a moment of profound relief” and “a testament to the power of collective diplomacy.”
The Galaxy Leader, flagged in the Bahamas and operated by Japan’s NYK Line, is owned by Isle of Man-based Galaxy Maritime Ltd, a subsidiary of Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar’s Ray Car Carriers.
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