Crew hostages
Houthis held the 25 crew members as hostages,[22] consisting of 17 Filipinos, two Bulgarians, three Ukrainians, two Mexicans, and one Romanian. Filipino foreign affairs official Eduardo de Vega stated, in March 2024, that he does not expect the hostages to be released until the war in Gaza is over.[23]
The Houthis turned the ship into a tourist attraction.[24] After the ship was seized and brought to Hodeidah, Yemeni visitors were brought (via motor boat) to Galaxy Leader for tours; some took selfies as rifle-toting Yemenis patrolled the deck,[24][5] and Yemeni social media influencers danced on board the ship.[25] Pro-Hamas graffiti was also scrawled on the ship.[5] The Houthis also used the ship as a set for a propaganda music video (entitled "Axis of Jihad"), in which Houthi poet Issa al-Laith appears on deck and sings "Death to America and hostile Zion/ By God, we shall not be defeated!"[26]
Galaxy Maritime repeatedly called for release of its 25 crew members,[27][28] saying that they "have no connection whatsoever" to the ongoing Gaza war, and that "Nothing can be achieved by their further detention."[28] The ship owner also said that the crew members had been allowed "modest contact" with their families and were being treated "as well as can be expected in the circumstances".[28] At an assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United States, the Bahamas, and Japan condemned the hijacking of Galaxy Leader as well as other Houthi acts that threatened freedom of navigation. The countries called for the unconditional release of the vessel's captain and crew.[28] The U.S. Department of State said that the seizure was "a flagrant violation of international law".[14]
On January 22, 2024, IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez gave an opening address to the 10th Session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC), repeating his calls for the immediate release of Galaxy Leader and its crew.[29][30] Satellite imagery revealed that, in late February or early March 2024, the ship was brought closer to Hodeidah, being moved from 2 km offshore to about 500 m from the port.[23] By March 2024, the crew had been held hostage for more than a hundred days; the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said there was no indication that the Houthis planned to release the crew.[23] A Houthi spokesman, Nasr Al-Din Amer, claimed that the Houthis had "no claims of our own regarding this vessel" and that the release of the ship and hostages relied on the decision-making of Hamas and the Al-Qassam Brigades.[23] A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Galaxy Leader's crew for the first time on May 12, 2024.[31]
On January 22, 2025, during the Israel–Hamas ceasefire, the Houthis released the hostages to Oman, according to Al-Masirah.[32] An Omani Royal Air Force jet that entered Yemen earlier that day took off around an hour before the announcement. The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Filipino President Bongbong Marcos confirmed the crew's release.[33]
