Grundberg Urges Houthis to Prioritize Interests of Yemeni People

UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. Photo: UN
UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. Photo: UN
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Grundberg Urges Houthis to Prioritize Interests of Yemeni People

UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. Photo: UN
UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. Photo: UN

UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg has urged Yemen’s Houthi militias to prioritize the interests of the Yemeni people and called for the unconditional release of detained UN personnel.

Grundberg concluded a visit to Muscat, where he held meetings with senior Omani officials, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.

During the meetings, Grundberg expressed appreciation for the Omani role in advancing UN efforts toward peace and stability in Yemen.

Grundberg also met with Mohammed Abdulsalam, chief negotiator and spokesperson of the Houthis, emphasizing the urgent need for broader de-escalation across Yemen.

“The Special Envoy stressed the importance of prioritizing the interests of the Yemeni people and called for constructive dialogue,” said the statement.

Throughout all his meetings, the Special Envoy reiterated the UN chief’s “urgent call for the immediate and unconditional release of detained UN personnel,” it added.

Last week, the Special Envoy met with Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohamed Al Jaber in Riyadh.

The talks focused on de-escalation efforts in Yemen amid regional tensions.

Grundberg also met with the P5 members of the UN Security Council. He underscored the critical need for a unified approach to support efforts toward a political process and a ceasefire in Yemen.

The Special Envoy emphasized the importance of sustained advocacy for releasing detained UN personnel.



Israel Kills Abu Shujaa in Deadly West Bank Raid

Israeli army excavators dig up a road during a military operation in Tulkarm in the north of the occupied West Bank on August 29, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Israeli army excavators dig up a road during a military operation in Tulkarm in the north of the occupied West Bank on August 29, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Israel Kills Abu Shujaa in Deadly West Bank Raid

Israeli army excavators dig up a road during a military operation in Tulkarm in the north of the occupied West Bank on August 29, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Israeli army excavators dig up a road during a military operation in Tulkarm in the north of the occupied West Bank on August 29, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Israeli troops killed a local commander of Islamic Jihad movement in the West Bank and four other Palestinian fighters on Thursday in a gunbattle during one of the largest assaults in the Israeli-occupied territory for months.

The military said it killed Muhhamad Jabber, known as Abu Shujaa, the head of a network of fighters in the adjacent Nur Shams refugee camp, during a "significant exchange of fire" around a mosque in the city of Tulkarm in which four other Palestinian fighters were also killed.

The Tulkarm division of Islamic Jihad's armed wing confirmed his death, which brought the total number of Palestinians killed during the past two days to 17, and said fighters had attacked Israeli forces near the Abu Ubaida mosque.

The operation began in the early hours of Wednesday with hundreds of Israeli troops backed by helicopters, drones and armored personnel carriers raiding the flashpoint cities of Tulkarm, Jenin and areas in the Jordan Valley.

There was also a complete network outage at Jawwal, one of the two main telecommunications companies in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, according to the Reuters witness.

In Jenin earlier, Israeli bulldozers edged along empty, rubbish-strewn streets as the sound of drones pierced the sky.

The troops searched ambulances on the streets and in front of Jenin's main hospital, having blocked off access to it on Wednesday to prevent fighters from seeking refuge there.