Yemen De-Escalation Agreement Goes into Effect

The Houthi-held central bank in Sanaa. (Reuters)
The Houthi-held central bank in Sanaa. (Reuters)
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Yemen De-Escalation Agreement Goes into Effect

The Houthi-held central bank in Sanaa. (Reuters)
The Houthi-held central bank in Sanaa. (Reuters)

The de-escalation agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias went into effect with the central bank in the interim capital Aden restoring SWIFT services to six banks in Houthi-held Sanaa.

Flights were also resumed between Sanaa and Amman. Three will be operated per day.

United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced the agreement on Tuesday, hoping the deal would pave the way for comprehensive talks on the economy and humanitarian situation.

Yemenia Airways said flights from Sanaa to Amman began operation on Thursday. Before the escalation, it was only operating one flight to the Jordanian capital.

Once logistic preparations are complete, flights will be operated to Egypt and India.

Yemenia spokesman Hatem al-Shaabi confirmed the launch of the Amman flights in line with the de-escalation agreement.

He stressed that the airline is keen on providing its services to all Yemenis.

It is awaiting the operating permits to launch flights from Sanaa to each of Cairo and Mumbai, he went on to say.

Tickets are available at all agencies and to all people throughout Yemen, he stated.

The United Arab Emirates welcomed on Thursday the de-escalation agreement, saying it was a positive step towards reaching a political solution in Yemen that meets the aspirations of its people.

The UAE Foreign Ministry hailed the UN and Grundberg on their efforts to reach a lasting comprehensive solution to the crisis in Yemen that would in turn bolster regional peace and stability.

In the de-escalation agreement, the parties agreed to “cancel all the recent decisions and procedures against banks by both sides and refrain in the future from any similar decisions or procedures,” said a UN statement on Tuesday.

They agreed on “resuming Yemenia Airways’ flights between Sanaa and Jordan and increasing the number of flights to three daily flights, and operating flights to Cairo and India daily or as needed.”

Meetings will be convened to address the administrative, technical, and financial challenges faced by the company, added the statement.

The parties also agreed on “initiating the convening of meetings to discuss all economic and humanitarian issues based on the roadmap.”

The parties requested the support of the UN in implementing their commitments.



Australia, NZ, Canada Call for ICJ Response from Israel, Gaza Ceasefire 

Israeli military troops prepare near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli military troops prepare near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)
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Australia, NZ, Canada Call for ICJ Response from Israel, Gaza Ceasefire 

Israeli military troops prepare near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)
Israeli military troops prepare near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, July 25, 2024. (Reuters)

Australia, New Zealand and Canada on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and asked Israel to respond to a United Nations court which last week ruled its occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there were illegal. 

"Israel must listen to the concerns of the international community," the leader's statement said. 

"The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement under international humanitarian law. Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas. It must end." 

The leaders also said Israel needed to hold extremist settlers accountable for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinians, reverse its settlement program in the West Bank and work towards a two-state solution. 

Israel's embassy in Australia on Thursday said it condemned acts of violence against Palestinian communities. 

Last week, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and its settlements there are illegal and should be withdrawn as soon as possible, its strongest findings to date on the Israel-Palestinian conflict. 

The leader's statement called on Israel to "respond substantively" to the ICJ. 

Israel's foreign ministry last week rejected the ICJ opinion as "fundamentally wrong" and one-sided, and repeated its stance that a political settlement in the region can only be reached by negotiations. 

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem - areas of historic Palestine which the Palestinians want for a state - in the 1967 Middle East war and has since built settlements in the West Bank and steadily expanded them. 

Israeli leaders argue the territories are not occupied in legal terms because they are on disputed lands, but the United Nations and most of the international community regard them as occupied territory. 

The joint statement, the second since February, expressed concern about escalating violence between Israel and Hezbollah and said the risk of a wider regional war made a ceasefire in Gaza all the more urgent. 

The statement came hours after US Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.