Houthis release crew of ship seized at end of 2023
(JNS) — Houthi rebels said on Wednesday that they released the crew of the ship Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier, seized in November 2023.
The Bahaman-flagged ship is registered by a British company partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar.
The Yemen-based terror group said that it hijacked the ship because of its Israeli connection, the Associated Press reported.
The group seized the vessel at the start of its attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor in identification with the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Houthis have since targeted more than 100 commercial ships.
While the terror group claimed that it only targeted vessels linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom, many of the ships attacked had “little or no connection, including some bound for Iran,” the news outlet said.
The rebels said they released the sailors after mediation by the Gulf state Oman. A separate request by Hamas urged the release of the 25-person crew, which included sailors from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico, AP reported.
“This step comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza,” the Houthis said in a statement.
On Jan. 19, the terror group signaled that it will limit its maritime attacks in the Red Sea to only Israel-linked vessels until the last phase of the ceasefire agreement is carried out, AP reported on Sunday.
ICC preparing for ‘worst-case scenario’ under potential Trump sanctions
(JNS) — Weeks after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to sanction the International Criminal Court in The Hague, in part due to the court’s arrest warrants of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the ICC said it is bracing itself for even harsher economic sanctions from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to The Guardian.
Multiple ICC sources claimed that they feared Trump would not wait for the legislation but “launch a swift assault” via executive orders. The court is preparing for a “worst-case scenario,” where Washington not only imposes sanctions on individuals but against the entire institution.
“The concern is the sanctions will be used to shut the court down, to destroy it rather than just tie its hands,” an ICC official said. (JNS has reached out to the ICC for confirmation).
Trump previously issued sanctions against former ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her top officials during his first term in 2020.
Israel does not fall under the official jurisdiction of the ICC; however, chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who is under investigation for sexual misconduct, has insisted that he still has jurisdiction over the country.
Moroccan man arrested for ISIS plot targeting Naples Jewish community
(JNS) — A 30-year-old Moroccan man was arrested in Naples for terrorism charges, including affiliation with ISIS (Islamic State) and plans to target the Jewish community in the southern Italian city, the Polizia di Stato said on Wednesday.
In addition to the arrest for “international terrorism of Islamic origin,” the suspect is being charged with “subversion of the democratic order.”
The operation — led by Digos and coordinated by the Naples Public Prosecutor’s Office Anti-Terrorism Working Group, with support from the Central Directorate for Preventive Police — uncovered his affiliation with ISIS and his online promotion of terrorist content.
Investigations have revealed plans for violent acts against the Jewish community in Naples, including intentions to acquire a knife.
Authorities also conducted searches on individuals linked to him.
Air France to resume flights to Israel
(JNS) — Air France said on Tuesday that flights to Israel will resume this weekend.
The move comes as an increasing number of foreign airlines are renewing flights to Ben-Gurion International Airport as regional tensions de-escalate.
An Air France spokesman said the airline will restart service to Israel on Jan. 25 with seven weekly flights between Tel Aviv and Paris.
The announcement comes a day after British Airways confirmed to JNS that it will resume service to Israel this spring.
The renewal of service on the British flag carrier comes a week before the weeklong Passover holiday — a time when flights to and from Israel are heavily booked.
The Lufthansa Group of airlines announced last week that it will resume service to Israel next month. The global aviation group includes Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways and Eurowings.
The three major U.S. legacy carriers are still not flying to Israel, sending fares spiraling on Israel’s national carrier, EL AL, which operated a virtual monopoly on the lucrative transatlantic route for most of the 15-month-long war. Delta Airlines is due to resume service to Tel Aviv from New York in April.
