Sanaa Says Captured Ship's Fate in Hands of Palestinian Resistance

By Al Mayadeen English

29 Nov 2023 18:34

The Yemeni armed forces underline that while they are safeguarding regional security, it would stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Ansar Allah spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam responded to the statement issued by the G7 regarding maritime security, wherein he stressed Wednesday that Sanaa was committed to maritime security and that of maritime corridors.

The statement G7 issued a statement warning against further escalation, calling on Asar Allah to halt what it said were "threats" to international shipping and to release the Israeli-linked vessel they had captured earlier in the month.

"Emphasizing the importance of maritime security, we call on all parties not to threaten or interfere with the lawful exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by all vessels," a statement by Japan, the current head of the Group of 7, said.

"We especially call on [Ansar Allah] to immediately cease attacks on civilians and threats to international shipping lanes and commercial vessels and release the M/V Galaxy Leader and its crew, illegally seized from international waters on November 19," the statement added.

Abdulsalam stressed that the Yemeni Naval Forces were committed to protecting Yemeni territorial waters as per its sovereign jurisdiction. "The ship and its crew were captured in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in support of the valiant resistance in Gaza."

The fate of the Israeli-linked ship, the Ansar Allah spokesperson said, "is linked to the choices of the Palestinian Resistance and what serves its goals in the battle against the Israeli aggression."

"The crew were dealt with according to Islamic morals and humanitarian laws," Abdulsalam added, noting that they are being allowed to contact their families.

The operations of the Yemeni Navy that took place as of late "are exclusive to Israeli ships," which is what the Naval Forces had already warned about, cautioning both Israeli or Israeli-linked ships prior to the capture.

Abdulsalam expressed Sanaa's conviction that "the criminal actions of the occupation are a threat to regional and international security and peace" and that confronting its aggressive activities against the Palestinian people and the region is "essential for the security and peace of the region and the world."

The Ansar Allah spokesperson underlined that the G7 granting legitimacy to the occupation was a violation of international law, given that the latter was "an unjust occupation of Palestine, engaging in brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip."

Abdulsalam emphasized that the "true legitimacy lies with the Palestinian people in resisting and confronting the aggression, siege, and occupation" perpetrated by the occupier, which is supported by the United States and the West.

Following a series of events on the same shipping route, a tanker related to an Israeli corporation was boarded off the coast of Yemen on Sunday, according to the maritime security organization Ambrey.

Ambrey announced that "US naval forces are engaged in the situation" following the incident with the Central Park vessel, which is owned and operated by a UK-based, Israeli-affiliated business.

Later, a US defense official said a tanker linked to an Israel-affiliated company was captured off the coast of Yemen on Sunday by unidentified armed individuals.

"There are indications that an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals seized the M/V Central Park in the Gulf of Aden Nov. 26. US and coalition forces are in the vicinity and we are closely monitoring the situation," the official told AFP, following a series of incidents on the same shipping route.

Yemen's Naval Forces had previously threatened to attack the tanker if it did not divert to the Hodeidah port, Ambrey said. The maritime security firm claimed that communications from a US coalition cruiser had been intercepted, instructing Central Park to disregard the signals.

The tanker was captured offshore the Yemeni port city of Aden, according to Ambrey, with another vessel in the region reporting "an approach by eight persons on two skiffs wearing military uniforms."

This comes after an Israeli ship was targeted in the Arabian Sea (north of the Indian Ocean) on Thursday night -- Friday dawn shortly before the temporary truce in Gaza came into effect, private sources told Al Mayadeen.

The sources confirmed that the ship was directly hit, and it caught fire as a result of the attack. 

The party behind the operation has not been specified.

Commenting on Al Mayadeen's exclusive report, Roi Kayes, head of the Arab Affairs Department at the Israeli Kan channel, said no confirmation has been received from Israeli authorities about whether the incident took place or not or if "Israel" actually owns the ship.

Earlier last week, the official spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced on November 19 that the Yemeni Naval Forces carried out a military operation in the Red Sea, resulting in the capture of an Israeli ship.

In a video statement, General Saree confirmed that the ship named Galaxy Leader was led to the Yemeni coast, emphasizing that this operation comes in support of Palestine's West Bank and Gaza. "The operations of the armed forces threaten only the ships of the Israeli entity and those owned by Israelis," he said.