<\/p>\n
It used to be unusual for hijackers to broadcast live from aboard a captured ship, but in the age of social media, Yemen's Houthi rebels have decided to set a new trend. A steady stream of video content from the seized car carrier Galaxy Leader <\/em>has been popping up on social media, and it appears to show that the militant group is welcoming guests and having a good time – though whether the crew feels the same way is another matter, as they and their ship are being held hostage.<\/p>\n Groups of Houthi youths and social media influencers have been visiting Galaxy Leader <\/em>as a photo-shoot opportunity. One group recently filmed themselves dancing in victory on the top deck, waving Yemeni flags and chanting. Another offered the narcotic qat (a natural product with amphetamine-like effects) to a crewmember in the engineering control room, toured the vessel's car decks, and smoked a hookah. <\/p>\n #Houthi<\/a> influencers are flooding social media with videos of the captured Galaxy Leader ship in Hudaydah, Yemen. They are interacting with its equipment, dancing, providing Khat\/Qat to the crew, despite complaints of it affecting their sleep—a symbolic gesture of their "victory." pic.twitter.com\/1jzTLjtMP0<\/a><\/p>\n — Basha ???? (@BashaReport) November 25, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yemenis having fun on the captured israeli ship Galaxy Leader<\/p>\n What souls they have — Hussein (@EyesOnSouth1) November 28, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yemen — Bharwana (@pain___killer) November 23, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The ship has become something of a tourist attraction, drawing boaters who want to examine the ship and take photos. In one remarkable video, a group of new guests attempted to climb the pilot ladder en masse, with at least six people ascending and descending at once (without lifejackets). <\/p>\n There were so many guests aboard Galaxy Leader<\/em> on Monday that the crowd on the top deck could be discerned from space, journalist Christian Triebert noted, drawing on high-quality satellite imagery provided by Maxar. <\/p>\n A satellite image collected by @Maxar<\/a> today shows the Galaxy Leader (9237307) anchored offshore of As Salif (same location as above) with a support tender vessel positioned nearby. Quite some people visible on the top deck, perhaps taking selfies. pic.twitter.com\/G1CqUchqb1<\/a><\/p>\n — Christiaan Triebert (@trbrtc) November 28, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Galaxy Leader <\/em>was forcibly hijacked<\/a> by a helicopter-borne Houthi assault team on November 19. The ship is operated by Isle of Man-based Ray Car Carriers, a firm with ownership ties to an Israeli shipping magnate. Houthi leaders have promised to target Israel-linked shipping in retaliation for the ongoing Israeli military operation in Gaza. <\/p>\n 17 members of the Galaxy Leader's <\/em>crew are Filipino, and the remaining eight are Bulgarian, Romanian, Ukrainian and Mexican citizens. There are no Israeli nationals aboard, according to the Israeli government. Houthi representatives have made assurances<\/a> that the seafarers will not be harmed.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\npic.twitter.com\/SkstK8m940<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Galaxy leader is the new tourist attraction in Yemen. Yemeni taking boat rides to take pictures with the grounded Israeli vessel. pic.twitter.com\/outpmUkKtK<\/a><\/p>\n\n