File photo shows Israeli ship Galaxy Leader, which was seized by Yemen’s Armed Forces off the Yemeni coastline. (Photo by Reuters)
Sanaa, November 21 (RHC)-- Yemen’s Armed Forces have seized an Israeli ship in the Red Sea in yet another operation in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who have been enduring a U.S.-backed genocidal war and siege for more than 13 months.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the forces announced “conducting a military operation in the Red Sea, which resulted in the seizure of an Israeli ship and its escort to the Yemeni coast.” “The Yemeni Armed Forces are dealing with the ship's crew according to the teachings and values of our Islamic religion,” they added.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out in line with the directives of leader of Yemen’s popular resistance movement Ansarullah, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, and in support of “the oppressed Palestinian people and what they are subjected to from the unjust siege and the continuation of horrific and heinous massacres by the Israeli enemy.”
The Yemeni forces have been conducting hundreds of strikes against Israeli targets inside the occupied Palestinian territories in retaliation for the Israeli regime’s October 2023-present war on Gaza that has so far claimed the lives of nearly 44,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The forces have also been targeting Israeli ships as well as vessels heading towards or away from the territories as a means of piling up economic pressure on the regime.
Yemen’s Military Media, meanwhile, released a video, showing a visit by Yemeni Navy Commander Vice Admiral Abdullah Salim al-Nakhei to an Israeli vessel caught off the Yemeni coastline in November 2023, which was identified as Galaxy Leader.
Separately, the Yemeni forces issued a documentary about the operation that led to the vessel’s capture that also showcased their Asif anti-ship ballistic missile.
In the Wednesday statement, the forces warned “all ships belonging to the Israeli enemy or those dealing with it that they will become a legitimate target for the Armed Forces.” “We urge all countries whose nationals are working in the Red Sea to stay away from any work or activity with Israeli ships or ships owned by Israelis.”
According to the forces, “the entity threatening the security and stability of the region and international waterways is the Zionist entity.” “The international community, if it is keen on the security and stability of the region and not expanding the conflict, should stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza.”
The Yemeni military has also been targeting American vessels, including warships and aircraft carriers, off the country’s coast as a means of protesting the United States all-out political, military, and intelligence support for the Israeli aggression, and in retaliation to the attacks that the US has been conducting against Yemen in an attempt to force it into stopping its anti-Israeli strikes.
The operations featured a high-profile strike against the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier in the Arabian Sea last week.
Commenting on the operations, Lebanon’s al-Akhbar paper said, “In response, the U.S. has escalated its military strategy, deploying B-52 strategic bombers to its Central Command operations area in Bahrain.” “Analysts attribute this deployment to Washington's recognition of the high costs and limited efficacy of its naval presence in the Red Sea.”
According to the daily, “The Pentagon is [also] reportedly shifting to aerial strategies to mitigate Yemeni attacks, considering the vulnerabilities of its carriers. Discussions about using Saudi bases for logistical support reflect this recalibration, though Saudi Arabia has yet to officially respond.”
Yemen has vowed to sustain the pro-Palestinian operations until the Israeli regime stopped the war and concomitant siege, and the regime’s allies stopped their support for the aggression.
[ SOURCE: PRESS TV ]
