Houthis push for 'demise of Israel' amid attack on Red Sea ship

A member of the political bureau of the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist movement warned that it would continue its attacks until the "demise of Israel" after they seized the Galaxy Leader merchant ship in the Red Sea on Sunday, in statements to the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV on Monday.

Ali Al-Qahhoum, a member of the Houthi's political bureau, stated that the organization has been using drones and ballistic missiles with ranges of up to 2,000 km.

"We will not stand idly by in the face of the Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people and the international and American outcry in support of the [Zionist] entity," said Qahhoum.

Another member of the Houthi's political bureau, Muhammad Al-Bukhaiti, told Al-Jazeera that the Islamic revolutionary terrorist group has "many options" to attack Israel if the war in Gaza doesn't end, warning that the conflict would expand if the war continues.

Bukhaiti added that the Houthis were not acting under a directive by Iran and that the group was trying to distract Israel and relieve some of the pressure on Gaza. The senior Houthi member additionally stated that the movement is willing to confront the US as well.

Deputy Chief of the Houthis' General Staff, Maj.-Gen. Ali Hammoud Al-Mushki, warned that the terrorist movement would continue to attack targets both in and outside of Israel. "We are with the Palestinian people, and as long as the Zionist enemy continues its crimes and killing the people of Palestine, we will continue to stand against the Zionist enemy."

Houthis release footage showing seizure of cargo ship

Additionally on Monday, the Houthis released footage showing their seizure of the cargo ship.

مشاهد من العملية العسكرية النوعية للقوات البحرية التي تم خلالها السيطرة على السفينة الإسرائيلية يوم أمس في البحر الأحمر. pic.twitter.com/7dGNtbcMos

— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) November 20, 2023

The footage was released by the movement's TV channel Al Masirah a day after the ship was hijacked by the Iran-backed group, who said the vessel was linked to Israel. Israel, however, says the seized ship was British-owned and Japanese-operated.

The footage showed Houthi terrorists landing a helicopter on the ship and Houthi ships surrounding the vessel.

The owner of the Galaxy Leader said on Monday that the vessel was now in the Hodeidah Port area off of Yemen. "All communications were subsequently lost with the vessel," Isle of Man registered Galaxy Maritime Ltd, owner of the pure car carrier, said in a statement.

"The company, as a shipping concern, will not be commenting further on the political or geopolitical situation."

Two commercial ships that diverted their course in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden were connected to the same maritime group whose vessel was seized by the Houthi movement, according to shipping data and British maritime security company Ambrey.

US denounces seizure of cargo ship

The United States on Monday denounced the seizure of the cargo ship in the Red Sea as a violation of international law and demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.

"The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a briefing.

"We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps."