HOUTHI rebels forced hostages on board a hijacked British cargo ship to party on live TV as new satellite images reveal the vessel’s movements.
The 25 sailors featured in a propaganda clip nearly one year after the Yemen terror group stormed the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea.
For a celebration last month of the Islamic prophet’s birthday, known as Mawlid, the Galaxy Leader was lit up in green and had a stage built on it.
Footage shared on Yemen TV channels shows the captives watching a traditional knife dance as the guests of honour on the ship where they are being held hostage.
The trapped sailors wear green hats and green scarves with gold writing that reportedly reads: “At your command, O Messenger of God.”
The propaganda clip was one of dozens produced for the holiday showing the Houthis’ strength as they terrorise the Red Sea and battle Israel.
Other clips showed massive crowds brandishing weapons or local mosques bathed in the same green lights.
Car carrier Galaxy Leader was snatched by the Houthis when crack troops flew onto it with a helicopter in November last year.
The militants celebrated its capture as a war trophy – with Yemeni influencers visiting the vessel to show it off.
Exclusive images provided to The Sun also show the boat has been brought back and forth from the shore by the Houthis.
Satellite pics taken by company Maxar show the ship tied with its back to shore in April.
But for September’s celebration, the ship had its front tied to shore.
It suggests the terror group are either sailing the ship themselves or are forcing the crew into sailing it for them.
The condition of the crew is dire as they face “significant health issues” including malaria, a report claims.
Most of the crew are from the Philippines, with three from Ukraine, two each from Bulgaria and Mexico, and one from Romania.
The Houthis have sought to portray themselves as treating the hostages generously and have welcomed visits from the Red Cross and a top naval commander.
But Filipino diplomatic sources have previously said they do not expect the captives to be released until Israel’s war in Gaza is over.
The Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar.
The militants – who said they were acting in “solidarity” with people in the besieged Gaza Strip – later sailed it back to Yemen and opened it up as a designated “tourist cruise ship”.
For about a dollar per trip, male-only groups of visitors can board wooden boats five times a week to marvel at the hijacked carrier.
The Houthis, designated a “global terrorist” group by Washington, have previously draped it in Yemeni and Palestinian flags and anti-American and anti-Israeli banners.
They have continued their campaign to disrupt trade in the Red Sea for almost a year now.
Footage from earlier this month shows them sending an explosive-laden drone at a British oil tanker.
They shared the clip of a big explosion near the side of the Cordelia Moon, which damaged its port side tank and covered it in clouds of smoke.
Around 12 per cent of all global trade normally passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the now-under-attack 20-mile-wide stretch of the Red Sea also known as the “Gate of Tears”.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels have spent months terrorising the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on vessels and warships – but who are they?
The Shia militant group who now controls large swaths of Yemen spent over a decade being largely ignored by the world.
However, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage – turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Their warped battle cry is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”.
Why are they attacking ships?
Last October, the rebel group began launching relentless drone and missile attacks on any ships – including warships – they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally Hamas.
In reality, they targeted commercial vessels with little or no link to Israel – forcing global sea traffic to largely halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices around the world soaring.
The sea assaults added to the carnage in the Middle East tinderbox as intense ripples from Israel’s war in Gaza were felt across the region – with Iran accused of stoking the chaos.
The Houthi chiefs pledged their Red Sea attacks would continue until Israel stopped its offensive in Gaza.
The group’s chiefs have previously said their main targets are Israel, and its allies the US and Britain.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint US and UK strikes blitzing their strongholds in Yemen – Iran’s terror proxy appears undeterred.
The UK and US have hit Houthi bases as recently as this month after the terror group once again targeted boats in the shipping lane.
Israel has also hammered the group with airstrikes, reportedly hitting oil storage tanks at the port in Al Hudaydah
