‘Al-Sabeen’ Gathering Shakes Balance of Power in Sana’a

Yemenis hold posters and portraits of Ali Abdullah Saleh during a rally in support of the former president, as his political party marks 35 years since its founding on August 24, 2017 (AFP Photo/MOHAMMED HUWAIS)
Yemenis hold posters and portraits of Ali Abdullah Saleh during a rally in support of the former president, as his political party marks 35 years since its founding on August 24, 2017 (AFP Photo/MOHAMMED HUWAIS)
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‘Al-Sabeen’ Gathering Shakes Balance of Power in Sana’a

Yemenis hold posters and portraits of Ali Abdullah Saleh during a rally in support of the former president, as his political party marks 35 years since its founding on August 24, 2017 (AFP Photo/MOHAMMED HUWAIS)
Yemenis hold posters and portraits of Ali Abdullah Saleh during a rally in support of the former president, as his political party marks 35 years since its founding on August 24, 2017 (AFP Photo/MOHAMMED HUWAIS)

A gathering of the General People’s Congress (GPC) supporters in Sana’a Thursday to celebrate the 35h anniversary of the party’s formation posed a threat to the balance of power in the Yemeni capital, which has been under the control of insurgents since Sept. 2014.

Worldwide news agencies estimated that “hundreds of thousands” of supporters from the GPC, which is led by former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, rallied at Al-Sabeen Square on Thursday.

In return, according to observers, barely “thousands” of Houthis attended four other rallies staged in the capital under the slogan of “mobilizing fighters,” but in reality they only aimed at causing “trouble to Al-Sabeen gathering.”

The crowd at the GPC rally chanted on Thursday slogans against the Houthis, saying: “No Houthis after today.”

Saleh's second-in-command in the GPC, Aref al-Zouka, also accused the Houthis of financial mismanagement and corruption, calling on them to “fight corruption and hand over the salaries.”

At Al-Sabeen Square, Saleh appeared in person at the rally but gave a brief speech, claiming that “hundreds of thousands of fighters were ready to fight” against the legitimate government and the Coalition.

"We are political pioneers with a solid anchor, and we have been facing conspiracies against us since 2011," he said.

During the rally, only limited skirmishes took place at checkpoints staged by the Houthi rebels, with no major security incidents between the two partners of the coup.

In the past weeks, tension has grown between Saleh and head of Ansar Allah group, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who had both joined hands in 2014 and drove the legitimate government out of the capital.

“Saleh’s appearance at the rally means there is an opposition inside the coup,” Yemeni political analyst Yaseen al-Tamimi told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said Saleh’s speech was not used to send a message of peace or to deliver a clear position from the latest efforts to reach a political agreement in the country. According to Al-Tamimi, Saleh sought to appease Houthis in his “short and unclear” speech by announcing his readiness to mobilize tens of thousands of fighters at the frontlines. 

On Tuesday, groups linked with Abdel-Malek al-Houthi declared a state of emergency in Houthi-controlled areas to face what they described as a “betrayal” from their ally Saleh.



52 Palestinians Including Children Killed in Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza

Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
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52 Palestinians Including Children Killed in Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza

Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction at a makeshift displacement camp following a reported incursion a day earlier by Israeli tanks in the area in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip on July 11, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including four children, hospital officials said Saturday. Also, 24 others were fatally shot on their way to aid distribution sites.

The children and two women were among at least 13 people who were killed in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, after Israeli airstrikes pounded the area starting late Friday, officials in Al-Aqsa Martyr's Hospital said. Another four people were killed in strikes near a fuel station, and 15 others died in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to Nasser Hospital.

The Israeli military said in a statement that over the past 48 hours, troops struck approximately 250 targets in the Gaza Strip, including militants, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage facilities, anti-tank missile launch posts, sniper posts, tunnels and additional Hamas infrastructure sites. The military did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment on the civilian deaths.

The Hamas-led group killed some 1,200 people in their Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and abducted 251. They still hold 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel’s offensive has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza’s Hamas-run government, doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. The UN and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.

US President Donald Trump has said that he is closing in on another ceasefire agreement that would see more hostages released and potentially wind down the war. But after two days of talks this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there were no signs of a breakthrough.