The office of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said a ship – which it did not name – had been seized. Went offline on Saturday south-west of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.” The Marine Traffic tracking site said the Galaxy Leader had “departed from Körfez, Turkey, and was on its way to Pipavav, India. The vessel, a car carrier, had been heading towards India from Europe with no cargo, a spokesperson said.

Japan’s Nippon Yusen, also known as NYK, said the company had set up a taskforce to gather more information, including on the safety of the 25 crew, who were from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania and Mexico. Ray Car Carriers and its parent company, Ray Shipping, could not be immediately reached for comment outside business hours. The maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel’s group owner “is listed as Ray Car Carriers”, whose parent company belongs to Abraham “Rami” Ungar, an Israeli businessperson. We will consult with our allies and UN partners as to appropriate next steps,” the official said.

We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew. No Japanese nationals were among the crew, he said.Ī US military official said the seizure of the vessel “is a flagrant violation of international law. “We strongly condemn such acts,” the chief cabinet secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, told a news conference. Japan’s top government spokesperson on Monday confirmed the capture of the Nippon Yusen-operated Galaxy Leader, adding that Japan was appealing to the Houthis while seeking the help of Saudi, Omani and Iranian authorities to work towards the swift release of the vessel and its crew.

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