THE crew of a British cargo ship have been freed 14 months after they were captured by a terror group.

Sailors from the Galaxy Leader car carrier have been held in Yemen by the Houthis – but are now free after Israel struck a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

The crew consists of 25 from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Mexico.

They were snatched as the Houthi terror group tried to block shipping through the Red Sea to help pals Hamas.

It is believed the crew will travel to Oman but no details were announced on the repatriation, the Maritime Executive reported.

It is not yet clear what has happened to the boat itself – with its last known location being tied to the shore off the port city of Hodeidah.

In a statement, the Houthis said the release of hostages “comes in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.”

The Iranian-backed also said they would respect the truce – which should see it stop firing missiles at Israel.

But, they pledged to continue targeting ships linked to Israel travelling through the Red Sea – while leaving other foreign vessels.

International Maritime Organisation Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said the relsease of the hostages was of “profound relief”.

He said: “Not only for the crew and their families, but also to the wider maritime community…

“Today’s breakthrough is a testament to the power of collective diplomacy and dialogue, recognizing that innocent seafarers must not become collateral victims in wider geopolitical tensions.”

Gunmen belonging to Houthi rebels jumped from choppers and attacked the Japan-chartered container ship, taking its entire crew hostage in shocking footage released following its seizure.

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”.

The Houthis celebrated the Galaxy Leader’s capture as a war trophy – with Yemeni influencers visiting the vessel to show it off.

The crew and the ship were used in a propaganda clip for a celebration last month of the Islamic prophet’s birthday, known as Mawlid.

Footage shared on Yemen TV channels showed the captives watching a traditional knife dance as the guests of honour on the ship where they are being held hostage and the ship was bathed in green lights.

The condition of the crew was reported as being dire in captivity as they faced “significant health issues” including malaria, a report claimed.

The Houthis sought to portray themselves as treating the hostages generously and welcomed visits from the Red Cross and a top naval commander to the hostages.

The Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which is in turn partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar.

Exclusive satellite pics taken by company Maxar provided to The Sun last year showed the boat was brought back and forth from the shore after it had been captured.

It suggests the terror group are either sailing the ship themselves or are forcing the crew into sailing it for them.

The Houthis are designated a “global terrorist” group by Washington DC.

They have targeted shipping in the Red Sea with footage showing them sending an explosive-laden drone at a British oil tanker in October.

Israel responded to the attacks by bombing oil tanks in Yemen – with video showing them explode in a massive fireball

The gigantic fireball shot into the sky after IDF jets hit the fuel while it was being stored at a port.

It then dissipated into black smoke in the sky but a massive blaze continued to burn at the port and secondary strikes erupted.

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?

In October 2023, 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