Cargo ship crew held by Houthi rebels released after more than a year in captivity
GuardianJAN 25
Yemen's Houthis Release Crew of Seized Cargo Ship After 14 Months
Above: Crew of the Galaxy Leader ship gets on a plane of the Royal Air Force of Oman at the Sana'a International Airport after more than a year in captivity on Jan. 22, 2025. Image copyright: Mohammed Hamoud/Handout/Houthi Media Center via Getty Images
The Facts
Yemen's Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader cargo vessel — 25 seafarers from Bulgaria, Mexico, the Philippines, Romania, and Ukraine — after holding them captive since Nov. 19, 2023.
This stems from talks with Hamas and mediators from Oman. Crew members traveled from Sana'a, Yemen, to Muscat, Oman, aboard an Omani Royal Air Force aircraft on Wednesday ahead of their return to their home countries.
The release comes amid the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that entered into effect over the weekend, and coincides with an announcement that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea will be limited to only Israeli-affiliated ships.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
Donald Trump has been in office for less than a week — enough for the Houthis to soften their tone and take conciliatory moves, freeing the crew of Galaxy Leader and saying they will no longer target US cargo ships. That's quite a change, especially as they picked the biggest fight with the US Navy since World War II, but pressure must continue.
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump's MAGA cult often attribute any positive event to the president, even when it really has nothing to do with him. Houthis had long conditioned the release of the Galaxy Leader crew upon a Israel-Hamas cease-fire in Gaza — which came into effect last weekend. That Trump is now in office is just a coincidence.
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