G7 foreign ministers demanded today that the Shiite Houthi rebels, who control much of Yemen, “immediately stop” threatening shipping and free the crew of a cargo ship they seized ten days ago in the Red Sea.

“We call on all parties not to threaten or obstruct the lawful exercise of the right of free navigation of all the ships”, says a statement of the G7 Foreign Ministers released by the diplomacy of Japan, the country that exercises its rotating presidency.

“We especially call the Houthis to immediately cease attacks against civilians and threats against international sea lanes and merchant ships and to release the M/V Galaxy Leader and its crew, which they illegally seized in international waters on November 19,” the statement added.

The Houthis, who are close to Iranseized the merchant ship with a crew of 25 in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, following a deadly, unprecedented attack by its militants on southern sectors of its territory on October 7.

Galaxy Leader is operated by a Japanese shipping companybut it belongs to a British company which in turn is owned by an Israeli businessman.

Besides, aAn attempt to seize the Central Park, a tanker owned by a company linked to Israel, was foiled on Sunday in the Gulf of Aden by US Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason, which captured the five alleged perpetrators, believed to be Somali pirates.

On Friday, another vessel linked to Israel suffered minor damage in the Indian Ocean when it was hit by an Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drone. None of its crew were injured.