The Houthis who hijacked the cargo ship Galaxy Leader using a helicopter said the fate of the 25 kidnapped crewmen is now in the hands of the Hamas.

Now in the custody of the extremists for over 110 days, the seafarers have been taken to an undisclosed location in Iran.

Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega of the Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippines has been constantly pursuing talks with the hostage takers and the Iranian government for the release of all the hostages which included two Bulgarians, two Ukrainians, two Mexicans and a Romanian.

However, there is little progress in the Philippine government’s bid to free the Filipinos.

De Vega said it is possible that the hostages will be freed when the Gaza war between Israel and the Hamas is over

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been attacking civilian ships in the Red Sea since last year after Israel launched its war against the Hamas in retaliation for the October 7 siege that left nearly 2,000 Israelis, mostly unarmed civilians, dead.

On Thursday, the Houthis announced that the fate of the kidnapped sailors now lies on the Hamas’ decision.

Early this month, the Houthis killed three sailors, two of them Filipinos, during a missile attack on a civilian ship cruising in the Aden Gulf.

Two other crew members aboard the cargo ship True Confidence were injured following the attack on March 6.

International Maritime Organization Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez appealed for collective action to protect sailors from the Houthis and other pirates.

“Innocent seafarers should never become collateral victims. We all need to do more to protect the seafarers,” Dominguez said in a statement.