17 Filipino Hostages in Yemen Safe From Israeli Strike

Jerusalem, 28 July, 2024 (TPS) -- MANILA, July 28, 2024 (PNA) Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the 17 Filipinos who are currently being held hostage by the Houthi group are “all safe” from the recent Israeli airstrike on Yemen’s port of Hodeidah.

“I am gratified to inform the nation that none of our 17 seafarers currently in the custody of the Houthis were affected by the recent Israeli attack on the port of Hodeidah, Yemen,” Marcos said in a statement on Saturday night.

“Our Embassy in Riyadh reports that they are all safe,” he added.

Marcos assured the families of the seafarers that the Philippine government has “not forsaken them and that we are doing everything to secure their safe return home”.

“The Philippines once again joins the community of nations in calling for a speedy resolution of the current conflicts in the Middle East region, to the end that no more lives may be lost and all can live in peace,” he added.

Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia Chargé d’Affaires Rommel Romato confirmed that the chief executive was referring to the 17 Filipino crewmembers of the MV Galaxy Leader.

“Our Philippine Embassy team is closely monitoring their situation through our Honorary Consul in Yemen,” he told the Philippine News Agency on Sunday morning.

“The Philippine Government is actively working with all relevant stakeholders, including the governments of the other crew members, to prioritize the safety and immediate release of our seafarers,” Romato added.

The Houthi hijacked the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader near Hodeidah in November while it was sailing for India and held hostage its 25 crewmembers, 17 of whom are Filipino nationals.

Israel carried the strike on July 20 in response to the Houthi’s drone attack on Tel Aviv on July 19, which killed one and injured 10 individuals. The Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel since October, but the Tel Aviv attack was the first to result in casualties.

From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea.

The Houthis vowed in early December to target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership.