Yemen rebels hijack Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea

A group of Houthi rebels seized a ship linked to Israel on a Red Sea shipping route Sunday and took its 25 crew members hostage. The Houthi rebels have controlled northern Yemen for years and are backed by Iran. They said they hijacked the ship because of its connection to Israel, and said they intend to continue targeting Israeli ships in international waters until Israel ceases its campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

How did Israel respond to the hijacking? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that the vessel, although affiliated with an Israeli billionaire, did not have any Israelis on board and is owned by “a British company and is operated by a Japanese firm.” On Monday, Japan condemned the hijacking and said that the country is working through negotiations with the Houthis while also staying in communication with Israel. 

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ report in Roundups about the battle over free speech occurring in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.