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STORY: The crew of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship touched down in Oman, on Wednesday after enduring over a year held captive by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces.The vessel was intercepted off the Yemeni Red Sea coast in late 2023, in one of more than 100 maritime attacks carried out by the Houthis since November of that year.The 25 crew members—hailing from Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Philippines, Mexico, and Romania—were handed over to Oman in a move to coordinate with the Gaza ceasefire. That's according to reports by the Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV.The crew members appeared visibly relieved, some members exchanging handshakes with officials and one embracing a Houthi man before boarding an Omani air force plane. The Houthis have said their attacks were an act of solidarity with Palestinians amid the conflict in Gaza. They have sunk two vessels, seized another, and caused the deaths of at least four seafarers, disrupting global trade and forcing ships to reroute via southern Africa.Now the release marks a rare diplomatic breakthrough in a volatile region. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq welcomed the development:"In a statement, Hans Grundberg, our special envoy for Yemen, said that this is a step in the right direction. He urged Ansar Allah to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks. These measures are critical in improving the space for mediation, he added, which in the long term will facilitate the resumption of the Yemeni political process that millions of Yemenis have been yearning for."However, the Houthis say they stand ready to act if Israel violates the Gaza ceasefire agreement.