The Yemeni Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, reports “Reuters”, citing Al Masirah TV, which is owned by the Houthis. Among the hostages were two Bulgarians - Captain Lyubomir Chanev and his senior assistant Danail Veselinov.
The crew was handed over to Oman after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. It included 25 people from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico.
The ship was captured on November 19, 2023. It was attacked in the middle of the Red Sea by the Houthis. The rebels took over the vessel by descending onto the deck from a helicopter. Immediately afterwards, radio contact with the Galaxy Leader was lost.
The reasons for the hijacking, which the Houthis then cited, were “Israeli crimes in Gaza”. Thus, ships with owners linked to Tel Aviv became targets.