Exactly two years have passed since the Galaxy Leader was hijacked. The vessel, owned by an Israeli company and flying a Bahamian flag, was attacked on 19th November 2023 by Yemeni Houthi militias while it was in the Gulf of Aden, the stretch of the Indian Ocean between Yemen and Somalia.
The merchant ship became one of the first symbols of the Houthis’ campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which has since seen 97 attacks, four of which resulted in the ships sinking. In one case, an environmental disaster was narrowly avoided when the Sounion, a Greek-flagged oil tanker, was attacked by the Houthis on 21st August 2024. It was on fire for weeks in the Red Sea before being salvaged by tugboats under the supervision of the Eunavfor Aspides naval mission.
Readers will remember the tragedy of the Galaxy Leader above all for the odyssey of the 25 sailors on board, who were freed and transferred to Oman after spending 430 days in captivity. The release of the hostages on 23rd January was one of the positive consequences of the de-escalation due to the beginning of the ceasefire in Gaza.
Translation by Giles Foster
