In Yemen, some are willing to travel hundreds of miles to visit the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship linked to an Israeli businessman captured by Houthi rebels in November.
The Houthis have made it a symbol of their fight against Israel and their support for Palestine, organizing excursions there five times a week, reserved for men, for the price of a meal, less than one euro.
Coming from the capital Sanaa, in the hands of the Houthis since 2014, Zubair al-Haidari said “he drove five hours” to see “the Israeli ship” anchored off the coast of Hodeida.
While some visitors take selfies on the deck of the cargo ship, others perform traditional dances with an AK-47 slung over their shoulders.
It is “an honor and pride for us (…) that our armed forces are doing this tremendous work in support of their oppressed brothers in Palestine and Gaza,” says Zubair.
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On the deck of the Galaxy Leader, none of the visitors met by AFP said they had seen the original crew members, Bulgarians, Filipinos, Ukrainians or even Mexicans, whose fate is unknown.
A few days after the ship's hijacking, the Houthis released a video showing a general welcoming a group of people, presented as crew members, but they have not communicated about it since.