Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized their

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader more than a year after they seized the Bahamas-flagged vessel off the Yemeni Red Sea coast, Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV reported on Wednesday.

Yemen's Houthis announced the release of 25 crew of the Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel seized in November 2023 in the Red Sea.

The move by the Iranian-backed Houthis marks their latest effort to de-escalate their attacks following a ceasefire in Gaza.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has released the crew of a cargo ship more than a year after its fighters hijacked the vessel in the Red Sea, as part of its campaign of attacks in support of Hamas in its war against Israel.

London-listed shipbroker Braemar has painted a mixed picture for tankers if the Gaza ceasefire holds and the Houthis stop attacking non-Israeli ships in the Red Sea. A full return to Suez Canal routing will negatively impact tonne-mile demand for tankers, head of research Henry Curra calculated.

For the shipping industry, the cessation of attacks has provided a brief window of optimism for the safe resumption of Red Sea traffic. However, many carriers are still reluctant to fully return to the route until they are confident that the ceasefire will hold beyond the initial six weeks.

A Romanian citizen who was part of the crew of the ship Galaxy Leader and was kidnapped in Yemen has been released and is now safe, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). The release is the result of sustained efforts by the Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) and other

Yemen’s Houthi group released the 25-member crew of the merchant ship Galaxy Leader after more than a year in captivity. The crew was handed over to Oman. The release aligns with Houthi support for the Gaza ceasefire and their solidarity with Palestine.

Liner operators led by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company will continue to avoid the Red Sea until it is safe. That stance is reflected in liner schedules that suggest the major carriers expect to continue to use the Cape of Good Hope routes, as they have since late December 2023, for much of the remainder of 2025.