Houthi militants released the 25-member crew of the PCTC Galaxy Leader (IMO: 9237307) earlier this week, a move that was welcomed around the world.
Nationals from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Mexico and Romania were kidnapped in November 2023 at the start of the Hamas-Israel war when the Galaxy Leader was illegally hijacked and detained in the Red Sea by helicopter-borne commandos. The vessel was subsequently taken to the Yemeni city of Hodeida.
Mediation by Oman
Multiple news agencies from around the world, and government officials have reported upon the release which took place on Wednesday 22 January after mediation by the country of Oman, a sultanate on the south eastern coast of the Arabian peninsula. An Omani Royal Air Force aircraft reportedly flew to Yemen, picked up the crew of the Galaxy Leader, and delivered them to freedom in Muscat, the capital of Oman.
Release of the crew occurred as a demonstration of Houthi support of the ceasefire in Gaza, according to international news agencies, such as AP News and the Islamic Republic of Iran News Agency, which cited statements from Yemen.
Philippine nation celebrated release
“The Department of Foreign Affairs joins the [Philippine] nation in celebrating the release of our 17 seafarers who were held in captivity in Yemen for over a year. This could not have been possible had it not been for the support and mediation efforts of the Sultanate of Oman, for which we are eternally grateful. The Department is working on their immediate repatriation to Manila so that they could reunite with their long-suffering families as soon as possible. Our successful efforts despite all the challenges prove that quiet diplomacy works,” a statement from the Philippines reads. The names of the Filipino seafarers were not published in English by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.
Mexico welcomed the release
Meanwhile, the Mexican government welcomed the release of their two nationals. Aníbal Gómez Toledo, Mexico’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and embassy staff received the two citizens. The Mexican government reported working through multiple diplomatic channels for the release of the two men, Marcos Gómez Jerez and Arturo Alberto Zacarías Meza, and working with friendly nations including Oman, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The Mexican Government also noted that the UN and the Red Cross helped establish contact.
Bulgarian captain and first officer freed
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Georgiev, and a government delegation, met the Bulgarian crew members, Captain Lyubomir Chanev and First Officer Danail Veselinov, and the Bulgarian government ordered a plane to fly to Muscat to pick up the two seafarers.
Maritime industry welcomed the release
Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, welcomed the release of the crew who were held hostage for over a year.
“This is a moment of profound relief for all of us – not only for the crew and their families, but also to the wider maritime community. I am grateful for all the Member States, regional entities and international partners whose steadfast support and strategic engagement were pivotal in securing the crew’s freedom, and to ensuring their wellbeing. Today’s breakthrough is a testament to the power of collective diplomacy and dialogue, recognizing that innocent seafarers must not become collateral victims in wider geopolitical tensions. It is also a return to operations in the Red Sea as we have been accustomed to and upholding of the freedom of navigation. IMO will continue to rigorously uphold its commitment to the safety of seafarers worldwide, who continue to face risks in their essential work,” the IMO Secretary General said in a statement.
Guy Platten, the secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping added,
“We welcome the news of the Galaxy Leader crew being released … and that they will be reunited with their families after being held in captivity since the 19 November 2023. The fact that the innocent crew were held for over 430 days is unacceptable and a truly dreadful situation. Nobody should have to endure such an ordeal, and we call on all nations to support our seafarers and shipping so that this does not happen again. ICS deplores any and all attacks on shipping as they are a breach of international law and threaten the lives of innocent seafarers and the safety of merchant shipping”.
Security situation in the Red Sea
Since the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel in November 2023, commercial shipping transiting the Red Sea has been subject to attacks by a range of weapons and various tactics. On 19 January 2025 a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect. According to maritime security company, Ambrey, on 19 January 2025, the Houthis announced that they would cease military operations against non-Israeli-owned or flagged shipping. The statement added that any aggression against the Houthi would result in the return of hostile activities to deny transit through the Bab-el-Mandeb, the narrow strait that is the southern entrance / exit to the Red Sea.
“The coming weeks will provide the proof of whether the Houthi follow suit with their stated intent. During this period, the threat to all shipping is reduced apart from Israel-owned and Israeli-flagged vessels. However, this is subject to flashpoint escalation if the Houthi consider Israel in breach of the ceasefire agreement. Ambrey assesses shipping with links to Israel and Israeli trade to be at greater risk than US- and UK-owned shipping as the ceasefire remains fragile and secondary negotiations continue. Houthi military action in response to a perceived breach of the ceasefire agreement by Israel remains possible and would highly likely impact Israel-affiliated shipping first. There is a probability for the US to launch airstrikes in response to Houthi military action against merchant shipping or naval assets, raising the risk for US and UK-owned shipping. The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) issued the warning: “[the] Maritime industry should be skeptical of recent Houthi claims.” The JMIC further stated that the threat to shipping associated with Israel, the US, or UK would “remain high”,” Ambrey notes.
