Yemen's Iranaligned Houthis have actually released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they took the Bahamasflagged vessel off the Yemeni Red Sea coast, Houthiowned Al Masirah TV reported on Wednesday.

It stated the team were handed to Oman in coordination with the three-day-old ceasefire in Gaza's war in between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The release of the Galaxy Leader team comes within the structure of our solidarity with Gaza and in assistance of the ceasefire agreement, it quoted the Houthi Supreme Political Council as saying.

The team is comprised of 25 nationals from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico and Romania, according to the car provider's owner Galaxy Maritime. The vessel was chartered by

Japan's Nippon Yusen

.

The Galaxy Leader was escorted to the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Houthi-controlled north Yemen after being boarded by Houthi forces at sea on Nov. 19, 2023, right after the outbreak of war in Gaza.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi stated on Monday the group was all set to act if Israel breached the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

We are in consistent readiness to step in instantly at any time the Israeli opponent returns to escalation, genocidal criminal activities and siege of the Gaza Strip, he said.

The Houthis have actually carried out more than 100 attacks on ships plying the Red Sea because November 2023, saying they were acting in uniformity with Palestinians against Israel's. devastating air and ground war versus Hamas in Gaza. They have. sunk two vessels, took another and killed a minimum of four. seafarers.

The attacks have interfered with global shipping, forcing. firms to re-route to longer and more pricey journeys around. southern Africa for more than a year.

(source: Reuters)