Brig. Gen. Majli to Asharq Al-Awsat: Red Sea Attacks Intensify Suffering of Yemenis

Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Abdu Majli
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Abdu Majli
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Brig. Gen. Majli to Asharq Al-Awsat: Red Sea Attacks Intensify Suffering of Yemenis

Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Abdu Majli
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Abdu Majli

Brig. Gen. Abdu Majli, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said that Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea not only threaten regional and international security but also worsen the suffering of Yemenis and hinder efforts to end the war started by the militia.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Majli said Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are driving up the cost of food and essentials, worsening conditions for Yemenis.

Majli criticized the Houthis for threatening international shipping and pushing Iran’s agenda in the region, which disrupts Saudi and Omani peace efforts.

He also expressed frustration with US strikes against Houthi targets, noting they haven’t been effective in destroying missile and drone capabilities.

Majli urged the international community to support Yemen’s government in combating the militias and ending the conflict.

According to Majli, the Houthis are sabotaging peace efforts and continue to attack Yemeni cities and military sites with artillery and drones.

Majli said the Houthis are persistently inciting sectarianism in their controlled areas, trying to force the population into their agenda.

He also noted that the presence of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard leader in Sanaa, under Houthi control, shows the Houthis are receiving direct support and guidance from Iran.

Majli called this a violation of Yemeni sovereignty and international law, pointing out that a previous Iranian envoy managed Houthi operations against Yemen and neighboring countries.

He added that the Houthis are increasingly rejected by Yemenis due to their crimes, including threats to Red Sea shipping and attacks on commercial ships.



Blinken: US Will Continue to Press Israel to Do More to Spare Humanitarian Sites in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)
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Blinken: US Will Continue to Press Israel to Do More to Spare Humanitarian Sites in Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his plane at the Chopin Airport in Warsaw on September 12, 2024. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday the United States will continue to urge Israel to do more to spare humanitarian sites in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli airstrike on a UN school complex sheltering displaced Palestinians killed six UN staffers.

When asked at a news conference in the Polish capital about Israel’s bombing of the school complex in central Gaza the day before, Blinken told reporters that “we need to see humanitarian sites protected.”

“That’s something we continue to raise with Israel,” he said.

Wednesday's strike on the UN-supported al-Jaouni Preparatory Boys School in Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, killed at least 14 people, including two children and a woman, hospital officials said. Among those killed were six staffers from the UN Palestinian refugee agency, known as UNRWA, the main UN relief agency in Gaza.

UNRWA described the strike as the deadliest single incident for its staff members. Among those killed at the school, it said, were the manager of the shelter and others working to help the thousands of displaced people taking refuge there, including teachers.

The head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, said at least 220 UNRWA staffers have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s military offensive began in response to Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Blinken blamed Hamas for continuing to hide its fighters among civilians and said the bombing “underscores the urgency" of reaching a cease-fire in the embattled territory.