Dramatic Footage Shows Iran-Backed Rebels Hijack Israeli-Owned Ship

The Houthis released chilling video of their weekend hijacking of a freight ship in the Red Sea on Sunday, showing how the Iran-backed Yemeni rebels quickly landed a helicopter aboard the partially Israeli-owned vessel and apprehended its 25-member crew at gunpoint.

The footage shows the dramatic, tactical deployment onto the deck of the Galaxy Leader, a Bahamian-flagged cargo ship that is reportedly owned by a Japanese shipping company and at least partially owned by Israeli shipping magnate Abraham "Rami" Ungar.

The gunmen, with their faces covered, can be seen in the clip with their weapons drawn as they move about the deck before they break into the control room.

They can then be seen shouting orders to crew members, who cower and raise their hands.

The hijacking reportedly follows an omninous warning issued days earlier by the group that read "We will sink your ships."

In a series of posts on X on Sunday, Houthis spokesperson Yahya Sare'e said the group took the ship to the Yemeni coast and reiterated their warning that "all ships belonging or dealing with the Israeli enemy ... will become a legitimate target."

The Houthis have increasingly intervened in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, firing missiles and rockets toward Israel in a show of support for Palestinians. Other Houthis-launched missiles and drones were intercepted by the U.S. Navy last month. The group is also believed to be responsible for launching a ballistic missile that was taken out by Israel in orbit, in what may be the first-ever instance of space combat.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office responded to the hijacking of the Galaxy Leader on Sunday morning, blaming "Iranian terrorism" for the incident, calling it a leap forward in "Iran's aggression against the citizens of the free world."

The ship was bound for India and was seized after leaving Turkey.

The Houthis are a Zaydi Shiite group that has received backing from Iran. The militants helped spark the Yemen uprising over a decade ago.

Despite relative peace in the past year, tensions are still present among the Houthis and their opponents, the Associated Press reported in September.