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Houthis Say 43 Detained UN Staff to Face Trial over Israeli Attack

Houthi supporters dance as they celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Houthi supporters dance as they celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
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Houthis Say 43 Detained UN Staff to Face Trial over Israeli Attack

Houthi supporters dance as they celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Houthi supporters dance as they celebrate following the announcement that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace plan to pause the fighting, in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Forty-three detained local United Nations staff will face trial on suspicion of links to an Israeli airstrike that assassinated top Houthi leaders in August, the acting foreign minister of Yemen’s Houthi government, Abdulwahid Abu Ras, told Reuters.

In August, the prime minister of Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi-run government and several other ministers were killed in an Israeli strike on the capital Sanaa, in the first such attack to kill senior officials, Reuters said.

The United Nations has repeatedly rejected Houthi accusations that UN staff or UN operations in Yemen were involved.

"The steps taken by the security agencies were carried out under full judicial supervision. The public prosecution was kept informed step by step with every action taken," Abu Ras said in an interview with Reuters.

'PROCESS MOVING TOWARD ITS CONCLUSION'

"Therefore, as long as the prosecution is informed, it is certain that this process is moving toward its conclusion, leading to trials and the issuance of judicial rulings," he said.

Abu Ras said that cell within the World Food Program was clearly involved in directly targeting the government.

There was no immediate comment from a World Food Program spokesperson. The United Nations has repeatedly rejected accusations staff were involved in spying.

At least 59 UN personnel are being held by Houthis, according to the United Nations, which has condemned what it calls arbitrary detentions and called for the immediate release of its personnel and other detainees.

The defendants are Yemenis. According to Yemeni law they could face the death penalty.

'INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT' FOR UN TO PROVIDE AID The latest detentions came after Houthi security forces entered several United Nations offices in Sanaa on Sunday.

The UN has accused Houthis of taking steps that have made it increasingly difficult for the agency to provide assistance to those in need in Yemen.

The acting foreign minister said the government is supporting other humanitarian organizations.

"We have clarified in a clear and explicit statement from the Foreign Ministry that we will support and assist organizations committed to the principles of humanitarian work, facilitating their activities and work," he said.

The Houthis have controlled large swathes of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since seizing power in 2014 and early 2015.

After the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis attacked global shipping lanes to show their solidarity with the Palestinian group. The group frequently fired missiles towards Israel, most of which were intercepted.

Israel unleashed a wide-ranging military campaign against Iran's allies after it was attacked by Hamas in 2023, including the Houthis.

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Arab World

Lebanese Army Warns Hezbollah Supporters against Undermining Civil Peace

Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)
Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)
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Lebanese Army Warns Hezbollah Supporters against Undermining Civil Peace

Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)
Hezbollah supporters demonstrate in Beirut to protest the Lebanese authorities’ decision to engage in direct negotiations with Israel, on April 10, 2026. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP)

The Lebanese army warned supporters of Hezbollah against actions that could undermine civil peace, as protests in Beirut over government policy entered a second day, raising tensions in the capital.

Demonstrations involving hundreds of Hezbollah and Amal Movement supporters have taken place in central Beirut, including near government headquarters in Riad al-Solh Square, with protesters blocking roads and moving through areas such as Hamra, Raouche, Sakiet al-Janzir and the so-called Ring Bridge. The protests are aimed at pressuring the government over its decision to launch direct negotiations with Israel and to restrict weapons to state control in Beirut.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam postponed a planned trip to the United States following the unrest.

“In light of the current domestic situation, and in order to fully carry out my duty to safeguard the security and unity of the Lebanese people, I have decided to postpone my trip to the United Nations and the United States to continue the government’s work from Beirut,” Salam said in a post on X.

The Lebanese army said in a statement it respects the right to peaceful expression but warned strongly against any actions that could endanger stability or civil peace.

“Any movement that could threaten stability, civil peace or lead to attacks on public or private property will not be tolerated,” the army said, adding it would act decisively to prevent any disruption to internal stability.

Protesters raised party flags and slogans rejecting what they described as “concessions and normalization with Israel,” insisting that “the resistance’s weapons are what liberate the land.”

Security coordination

Amid fears of escalation, President Joseph Aoun convened a security meeting at Baabda Palace attended by Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Michel Menassa and Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar to review measures aimed at maintaining stability.

Salam also chaired a meeting at the Grand Serail with the defense and interior ministers, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal and Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Raed Abdallah to discuss the implementation of cabinet decisions to maintain security in Beirut.

The army and Internal Security Forces deployed heavily across central Beirut, including elite units, and set up checkpoints at key entry points including Hamra and Spears. Patrols were also conducted near displacement centers and in mixed sectarian neighborhoods.

Al-Hajjar said peaceful protest is permitted under the law but stressed that security forces have taken all necessary measures to protect state institutions and ensure the safety of Beirut and its residents. He called for “responsibility, awareness and national unity at this delicate stage.”

Ahead of a second rally on Saturday afternoon near the Grand Serail, security forces expanded their deployment across Beirut.

A security source said there would be “no tolerance for any attempt to undermine security or threaten civil peace,” describing stability as a “red line” and warning that any destabilization would be met with a firm response.

Arab World

Palestinians Say Israeli Settlers Kill Man in Raid on Village

A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)
A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)
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Palestinians Say Israeli Settlers Kill Man in Raid on Village

A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)
A damaged car in the Wadi Al-Lubban Al-Shamali area, south of Nablus, 06 April 2026. Israeli settlers burned a house, two tents, and three vehicles, and assaulted Palestinians in the town of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya earlier in the day. (EPA)

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli settlers shot dead a Palestinian man in the West Bank on Saturday, in the latest deadly attack on the occupied territory.

Ali Majed Hamadneh, 23, died after settlers opened fire during a raid on the village of Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, the ministry said.

"He was brought to the Palestine Medical Complex in a critical condition" and later succumbed to his wounds, the ministry said on Telegram.

Palestinian official news agency Wafa also reported the incident.

"Armed colonists, under the protection of Israeli forces, attacked Deir Jarir from its western entrance and opened fire toward residents in the area," Wafa reported.

There was no immediate response from the Israeli police or military.

Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has risen sharply since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

There has also been a spike in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank since the start of the Iran war on February 28, Palestinian authorities and the United Nations have said.

Prior to Saturday's attack, at least six Palestinians were killed since then in settler attacks, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.

Settler assaults on Palestinians have persisted for years, often to the indifference of mainstream Israeli society.

But the recent surge has prompted criticism from influential rabbis, settler leaders, and even Israel's military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who called the attacks "morally and ethically unacceptable".

Arab World

Iraqi Parliament Elects Nizar Amedi as Country’s New President

The entrance of the Iraqi parliament building during a parliamentary session in Baghdad, Iraq, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)
The entrance of the Iraqi parliament building during a parliamentary session in Baghdad, Iraq, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)
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Iraqi Parliament Elects Nizar Amedi as Country’s New President

The entrance of the Iraqi parliament building during a parliamentary session in Baghdad, Iraq, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)
The entrance of the Iraqi parliament building during a parliamentary session in Baghdad, Iraq, April 11, 2026. (Reuters)

The Iraqi parliament on Saturday elected Kurdish politician Nizar Amedi as the country's new president, a largely ceremonial role, following a parliamentary election last November.

Amedi, 58, is a former environment minister and has headed the political office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Baghdad since 2024.

Iraq is now ‌due to ‌choose a prime minister, ‌a closely-watched ⁠and sensitive pick.

US ⁠President Donald Trump threatened in January to withdraw Washington's support for Iraq, a major oil producer, if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was designated to form a cabinet.

The pro-Iran Coordination Framework coalition that holds a parliamentary majority has ‌nominated Iran-backed Maliki, alarming Washington, which along ‌with Israel waged a six-week war with ‌Iran until a ceasefire was announced on Tuesday.

Senior US and Iranian officials were meeting in Islamabad on Saturday in ‌the highest-level talks between Washington and Tehran in half a century ⁠in ⁠an effort to end the war.

In Iraq, which has long trodden a tightrope between Iran and the US, its closest allies, the prime minister wields significant power.

Under Iraq's sectarian power-sharing system, the prime minister must be a Shiite, the parliamentary speaker a Sunni, and the president a Kurd.