Yemen’s militant group Houthis have released a video showing the crew members of the Greek ship, Eternity C, which was sunk by the militant group in the Red Sea in July. Houthis claimed the 10 crew members in their custody were among the 12 presumed missing when the ship was attacked earlier in July.
The footage, resembling a propaganda video, had the crew apologising for travelling to the Israeli port of Eilat. The Liberian-flagged cargo ship owned by a Greek company was attacked by the Houthis on July 8 while en route from Port Said, Egypt, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The crew members were seen receiving medical care in the hospital. The crew members were seen detailing how Houthis “saved” them after the ship was attacked. “They have been giving us good shelter, giving us what we need, and keeping us safe,” they said.
The crew members said they requested a bonus for traveling to a “high-risk area.” “Did you hear any call or warning from anyone to the ship to stop?” a crew member was questioned by someone. To this, a crew member who identified himself as Rafael Gonzalez responded, “Yes,I heard the ship’s captain 'ignore the call of Yemen's Navy.”
When questioned what message they had for companies continuing trade with Israel, one hostage said: “ Please stop your trading or any transaction to Israel because Red Sea is safe, but if you have any transaction or trading to Israel you will get in a problem.” Another added, “For other ships, please do not go to Israel because [it is] very dangerous and many Palestinian people [are] suffering.”
Another crew member who identified as the ship’s electrical engineer Alexei Galactonein said the war needed to end. “If you want to send a vessel to the high-risk area, please inform the crew, and ask the crew if they want to go to this high-risk area,” Galactonein said adding that he would have gone home had he known how dangerous it was.
“It is dangerous to pass through the Red Sea,” the ship’s assistant engineer, identified as Julimo Tabiros, said. “I want to say sorry for our ship going to Israel.”