GCC Expresses Deep Concern over Escalation in the Region

Thick smoke billows from a raging fire at oil storage tanks a day after Israeli strikes on the port of Yemen's Houthi-held city of Hodeidah on July 21, 2024. (AFP)
Thick smoke billows from a raging fire at oil storage tanks a day after Israeli strikes on the port of Yemen's Houthi-held city of Hodeidah on July 21, 2024. (AFP)
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GCC Expresses Deep Concern over Escalation in the Region

Thick smoke billows from a raging fire at oil storage tanks a day after Israeli strikes on the port of Yemen's Houthi-held city of Hodeidah on July 21, 2024. (AFP)
Thick smoke billows from a raging fire at oil storage tanks a day after Israeli strikes on the port of Yemen's Houthi-held city of Hodeidah on July 21, 2024. (AFP)

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi expressed on Sunday his deep concern over the military escalation in Yemen in wake of the recent Israeli attacks on the Hodeidah Governorate.

In a statement, Al-Budaiwi said the development deepens the current tension in the region and disrupts ongoing efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip and reach a political solution in Yemen.

The continuation of military operations threatens regional and international security and stability, deepening the humanitarian crisis, he warned.

Al-Budaiwi called on all parties to exercise restraint and urged the international community and key nations to fulfill their responsibility in ending the conflict.

He underscored the tireless efforts of GCC member countries to end the war in Gaza and support peace efforts in Yemen.

He also stressed the need to maintain international efforts to compel the Israeli forces to halt their violations, achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and all Palestinian territories, and resolve the conflict through a peaceful solution in line with relevant international resolutions.



Saudi Arabia Expresses Concern over Military Escalation in Yemen after Israeli Airstrikes

The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Expresses Concern over Military Escalation in Yemen after Israeli Airstrikes

The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia expressed its deep concern on Sunday over the latest military escalation in Yemen after the Israeli attacks in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
The statement stressed that these developments "exacerbate the current tension in the region”.
In a statement on X platform, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “The Ministry is following with great concern the military escalation in Yemen following the Israeli attacks that targeted Hodeidah province on Saturday, July 20, 2024,” emphasizing that “these developments aggravate the current tension in the region and undermine ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza”.
The ministry also called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to distance the region and its people from the dangers of war. It also called on the international community and active influential parties to fulfill their responsibilities to end conflicts in the region.
Moreover, the ministry affirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's continued efforts to end the war on Gaza and affirmed its continuous support for peace efforts in Yemen to spare its people more suffering and achieve security and peace in the region.
On Sunday, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, affirmed that Saudi Arabia has no relation to or participation in the targeting of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah. 
He emphasized in a statement posted on the ministry's X platform account that Saudi Arabia will not allow its airspace to be violated from any direction.