Video: Israeli Attack on Car Carrier Galaxy Leader Seized by Houthis
One of the targets now confirmed by the Israeli Air Force in its recent attack on the Houthis in Yemen was the car carrier Galaxy Leader. The Israelis reported the vessel was being used by the Houthis to monitor maritime traffic in the Red Sea area near Hodeidah.
The Israel Air Force released a video showing its strike on the vessel, which is anchored at the port of Al-Salif, one of the three ports targeted in the strikes on July 6. The announcement confirmed it was a deliberate attack on the 17,127 dwt car carrier, which has been detained since November 2023.
“IAF fighter jets strike & dismantle terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime at the port of Ras Isa, Yemen. Among the terror targets struck was the merchant ship Galaxy Leader,” the Air Force reported. While it did not report the damage to the vessel, the video shows two large explosions.
It was reportedly not the first attack on the vessel. The Houthis’ media outlets claimed the U.S. also targeted the vessel with two air strikes in March after it launched the campaign against the militants. That attack was unconfirmed.
IAF fighter jets strike & dismantle terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime at the port of Ras Isa, Yemen. Among the terror targets struck was the merchant ship Galaxy Leader, which was seized by the Houthi regime in November 2023.
— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) July 7, 2025
Watch: pic.twitter.com/Vqu4qUCnEV
The latest Israeli attack, which included the Galaxy Leader, came days before the Houthis resumed their attacks on merchant ships. While the militants had been threatening shipping associated with Israel, there had been no attacks in 2025. That changed on Sunday and again on Monday when they attacked two bulkers in the Red Sea.
The Galaxy Leader caught international attention in November 2023 when the Houthis staged a commando-style raid from the air to board and seize the car carrier. The vessel, which is managed by the UK-based Ray Car Carriers with Israeli investments, was directed to port. The crew was detained in Yemen for over a year despite repeated international pleas. The Houthis finally released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, and they were evacuated by the Omanis in January 2025.
The Israelis reported that the July 6 attack included approximately 20 fighter jets using over 50 munitions. They struck targets controlled by the Houthis in the ports of Al Hudaydah, Ras Isa, Salif, and the Ras Kanatib Power Plant.
Israel has repeatedly targeted the ports as they say they are being used to import arms and parts of the missile and drone programs. In May, the Israelis attacked port infrastructure, including destroying tugboats.
The Houthis had announced that ports in Hodeidah had returned to full operation as of July 1. There had been reports that the Houthis were refusing permission for ships to depart the port after the strikes began this spring. The Indian Directorate General of Shipping recently reported that it had facilitated the release of the last of the vessels in Ras Isa. It said 11 vessels with over 150 Indian seafarers had been in the port, but the last one departed on June 29.