The Saudi Al-Arabiya network reports that Houthi rebels from Yemen have taken over an Israeli ship with 22 crew members on it. The abduction took place north of Yemen in the Red Sea area a little south of the Egypt-Sudan border.
The ship is a vehicle carrier and made its way from a port in southern Turkey to a port in western India. According to reports, the rebels have taken control of it and are now checking the nationality of the crew members.
Apparently it is not Israeli crew members but a ship partially owned by Israel. According to sources in Israel - there are no Israelis among the team members.
The IDF spokesman stated that the hijacking of the cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very serious event at the global level. It is a ship that left Turkey on its way to India with an international civilian crew, without Israelis. It is not an Israeli ship.
Last week, the spokesman of the Houthi army threatened that all Israeli ships are a target for the Shiite militia of Yemen. It also included Israeli ships that fly the Israeli flag, both Israeli-owned ships and ships whose destination is Israel or originating from Israel.
At the press conferences last week, we asked the Minister of Defense why Israel does not respond to the Houthis' surface-to-surface missile fire at Israel, and he evaded an answer.
