عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Yemen’s Presidential Council Holds Houthis Responsible for Consequences of Red Sea Attacks 

Dr. al-Alimi chairs the Presidential Leadership Council meeting in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)
Dr. al-Alimi chairs the Presidential Leadership Council meeting in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)
TT
20
TT

Yemen’s Presidential Council Holds Houthis Responsible for Consequences of Red Sea Attacks 

Dr. al-Alimi chairs the Presidential Leadership Council meeting in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)
Dr. al-Alimi chairs the Presidential Leadership Council meeting in Riyadh on Thursday. (Saba)

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council held on Thursday the Iran-backed Houthi militias responsible for the consequences of their attacks against vessels in the Red Sea.

It stressed that the Houthi terrorism was a result of years of the international community abandoning its commitments towards Yemen.

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to tackle the attacks. A statement Wednesday signed by the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom gave the Houthis what a senior Biden administration official described as a final warning.

“Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews,” the countries said in the statement. “The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”

The US says the Houthis have carried out some 25 attacks on ships in the Red Sea, forcing major shipping companies to reroute their vessels through the Cape of Good Hope.

The Houthis have claimed that their attacks are in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza amid Israel's war on the enclave. The Yemeni government refuted this, saying the Houthis were following an Iranian agenda and avoiding peace efforts in Yemen.

Official Yemeni sources said the Presidential Leadership Council held a meeting in Riyadh to assess the government and local authorities' performance in recent months.

Headed by PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, the meeting reviewed the economic situation, services in the interim capital Aden and liberated provinces and efforts to stabilize the currency and prices of essential goods.

The meeting discussed the latest Saudi and Omani efforts that led to the adoption of a roadmap aimed at reviving the UN-led peace process, which also calls for ending the Houthi coup against the legitimate government.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Will Israel’s ‘Voluntary Departure’ Plan Derail Gaza Reconstruction?

Palestinians in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, call for an end to the war and chant anti-Hamas slogans (Reuters)
Palestinians in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, call for an end to the war and chant anti-Hamas slogans (Reuters)
TT
20
TT

Will Israel’s ‘Voluntary Departure’ Plan Derail Gaza Reconstruction?

Palestinians in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, call for an end to the war and chant anti-Hamas slogans (Reuters)
Palestinians in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, call for an end to the war and chant anti-Hamas slogans (Reuters)

Israel’s announcement of a new body to facilitate the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from Gaza has triggered widespread condemnation across the Arab and Muslim world, with analysts calling the move a “provocative act” aimed at undermining an Egyptian-led initiative to rebuild the war-torn enclave.

A senior Egyptian official told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Egyptian diplomacy is fully aware that Israel’s goal is to obstruct efforts to implement the reconstruction plan prepared by Cairo, which has Arab backing and broad international support.”

Arab and Muslim leaders have rejected the Israeli move, while analysts say any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza is unlikely to succeed.

“Such extremist ideas regularly emerge from the Israeli side to undermine negotiation efforts and peace initiatives, but those involved in the talks are well aware of these tactics,” said the official, who requested anonymity.

“There are ongoing contacts with most countries, particularly the United States, to explain the situation Israel is inflaming in the region—a situation that poses risks for everyone,” they added.

An Israeli government spokeswoman said on Monday that the security cabinet had approved a proposal by Defense Minister Israel Katz to establish a body tasked with

“preparing for the voluntary departure of Gaza residents to third countries in a safe and supervised manner”.

She added that the body would operate under the Defense Ministry’s supervision but did not specify which third countries might participate in the plan.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry dismissed Israel’s “voluntary departure” plan for Gaza residents as lacking any legal basis, stressing that “forcible displacement under bombardment and the denial of humanitarian aid constitutes a crime under international law.”

Saudi Arabia also condemned the move, with its Foreign Ministry stating that lasting and just peace “cannot be achieved without granting the Palestinian people their legitimate rights, in accordance with international resolutions, and establishing an independent Palestinian state”.

The Muslim World League denounced the Israeli announcement as a “violation of all international and humanitarian laws and norms” and an “intentional effort to undermine prospects for a just and comprehensive peace that ensures security and stability in the region and the world.”

The backlash comes after US President Donald Trump proposed relocating Gaza’s more than two million residents to Arab countries and transforming the war-ravaged coastal enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East”—a vision widely rejected by Arab states, including Egypt.

In a phone call on Tuesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Egypt’s “unequivocal rejection” of any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land.

According to Egyptian presidential spokesman Ambassador Mohamed El-Shinawy, Sánchez welcomed the Arab reconstruction plan for Gaza and aligned with Egypt’s stance against the displacement of Palestinians or the liquidation of their cause.

Both leaders emphasized the need to implement a two-state solution as the “only guarantee for lasting security and stability in the Middle East.”