Yemen's Houthi rebels released footage on Monday of missing crew members from a cargo ship the rebels sank three weeks ago, saying 11 sailors had been “rescued”.
Many of the Eternity C's crew were unaccounted for after the Houthis attacked the ship in the Red Sea, where the group has declared a “blockade” in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. Several are believed to be dead.
The Houthis said on Monday that the Liberia-flagged ship had been heading for the Israeli port of Eilat – a day after announcing their attacks would now extend to all companies “dealing with Israeli ports”. The US has condemned what it called the kidnapping of the surviving crew members.
Houthi naval forces were “able to rescue 11 of the ship's crew at sea, including two wounded who were provided with medical care”, the group said in a statement carried by the news agency Saba. It said the ship was sunk on June 9 “as a result of violating the naval embargo against the enemy entity”, meaning Israel.
It said one person was found dead onboard the Eternity C before it sank, and that their body was taken to a hospital morgue. Three to four people have previously been reported dead.
The Houthi video appeared to be showing the moment the mostly Filipino crew were pulled from the sea wearing life jackets, although the footage was taken at night and the ship sank during the day. The captive crew members were shown saying the ship was heading for Eilat, and said at the end: “We are sorry, Palestinians.” It was not clear if they were speaking under duress.
One man the Houthis said was an electrician was shown lying in bed and speaking in English. An EU naval force had said a Russian electrician onboard the ship lost his leg.
The attack on the Eternity C came a day after the Houthis sank another cargo ship, the Magic Seas. On that occasion a UAE rescue mission brought all 22 crew members to safety.
Human Rights Watch has condemned the attacks as a breach of the laws of war. “The Houthis have sought to justify unlawful attacks by pointing to Israeli violations against Palestinians,” Niku Jafarnia, a researcher on Yemen and Bahrain for the organisation, said last week. “The Houthis should end all attacks on ships not taking part in the conflict and immediately release the crew members in their custody."
The Houthis announced on Sunday that they had “decided to escalate their military support operations” into what they called a fourth phase, extending their attacks to all companies dealing with Israel's ports. Vessels may be attacked regardless of their destination, they added.
The attacks on Red Sea vessels have damaged trade in one of the world's most important shipping lanes. Operators have taken longer routes around the southern tip of Africa, adding to costs and delaying journeys.
