Did Gaza War Derail Imminent Yemeni Peace Deal?

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell
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Did Gaza War Derail Imminent Yemeni Peace Deal?

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell

Joseph Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat for foreign affairs and security, appeared unsure when asked about dealing with Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and what actions can be taken to counter this threat.

In response to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat during a press briefing in Riyadh on Tuesday, Borrell discussed whether recent peace efforts in Yemen could change the Houthi group’s behavior and its threat to international navigation.

He viewed the stalled peace process in Yemen as a side effect of the Gaza conflict, which postponed the announcement of a peace agreement that was planned months ago.

Before the Gaza conflict, UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg suggested for Borell to consider visiting Aden in the next two months for a potential agreement.

The Gaza conflict changed plans, revealed the EU’s top diplomat, adding that Yemen’s peace was near, but not anymore.

Borrell highlighted Houthi attacks on Red Sea ships as a significant regional problem.

He stressed the need for an EU mission to protect navigation.

Borell noted that the Houthi attacks threaten more than just Israel.

British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps described a recent assault as “the largest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date.”

The Pentagon had announced that US and British forces have downed 18 explosive drones, two cruise missiles, and a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards international shipping routes in the southern Red Sea.

Grundberg had held talks in Oman and Riyadh to shape a peace plan for Yemen.

The discussions centered on commitments made by Yemeni parties with mediation from Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Grundberg also met with the leader of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad Al-Alimi, in Riyadh.

They discussed local developments and international pressures to encourage Houthi militias to engage in peace efforts, alleviate the people's suffering, and restore legitimate institutions.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Grundberg outlined the peace plan, including a nationwide ceasefire, reopening roads, paying public sector salaries, resuming oil exports, easing restrictions on Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port, releasing conflict-related detainees, and preparing for an inclusive political process under UN guidance.

The parties also pledged the departure of non-Yemeni forces, reconstruction efforts, and commitment to a comprehensive and lasting political solution.



Survivors, Bodies Recovered from Capsized Red Sea Tourist Boat

25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)
25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)
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Survivors, Bodies Recovered from Capsized Red Sea Tourist Boat

25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)
25 November 2024, Egypt: Red Sea Governor Amr Hanafi (R) checks on tourists rescued from capsized tourist boat called "Sea Story" that sank off Egypt's Red Sea coast. (Red Sea Governorate/dpa)

Rescuers on Tuesday recovered five survivors and four bodies from a dive boat that capsized off Egypt's eastern coast a day earlier, Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi said.  

A military-led team rescued two Belgians, one Swiss national, one Finnish tourist and one Egyptian, the governor said, bringing the total number of survivors from the accident to 33.  

The "Sea Story" had been carrying 31 tourists of multiple nationalities and a 13-member crew when it was hit by a large wave near Marsa Alam in southeastern Egypt early on Monday, causing it to capsize.

The four bodies recovered on Tuesday have not yet been identified, and eight people are still missing after 28 were rescued on Monday.

A government source close to rescue operations said the five survivors were found on Tuesday morning inside the boat, which the governor said had been thrown on its side by an early morning wave but had not completely sunk.  

The group had spent at least 24 hours in the overturned vessel after authorities first received distress calls at 5:30 AM (0330 GMT) on Monday.  

"Rescue operations are ongoing today, supported by a military helicopter and a frigate in addition to multiple divers," the Red Sea governor told AFP Tuesday, declining to provide any further details about the operation.  

The four bodies recovered on Tuesday were also located inside the stricken vessel.  

The boat had embarked on a multi-day diving trip on Sunday and had been due to dock on Friday at the town of Hurghada, 200 kilometers (124 miles) north.  

The governor on Monday said it capsized "suddenly and quickly within 5-7 minutes" of the impact with the wave, leaving some passengers -- among them European, Chinese and American tourists -- unable to set out of their cabins in time.  

- Still missing -  

Rescuers from the military and a passing tourist boat pulled 28 people from the water on Monday.  

According to a source at a hospital in Marsa Alam, six tourists and three Egyptians were admitted with minor injuries and discharged on Monday.   

According to the governor's office, the boat was carrying tourists from Belgium, Britain, China, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.  

Among the missing are two Polish tourists and one from Finland, according to both countries' foreign ministries.  

Authorities in Egypt have said the vessel was fully licensed and had passed all inspection checks. A preliminary investigation showed no technical fault.  

There were at least two similar boat accidents in the Marsa Alam area earlier this year, but no fatalities.  

The Red Sea coast is a major tourist destination in Egypt, a country of 107 million that is in the grip of a serious economic crisis.  

Nationally, the tourism sector employs two million people and generates more than 10 percent of its GDP.  

Dozens of dive boats crisscross between Red Sea coral reefs and islands off Egypt's eastern coast every day, where safety regulations are robust but unevenly enforced.