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Yemen Insurgents Continue to Recruit Children

Child soldiers with Houthi fighters hold weapons during a demonstration in Sana’a on March 13, 2015. Reuters
Child soldiers with Houthi fighters hold weapons during a demonstration in Sana’a on March 13, 2015. Reuters
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Yemen Insurgents Continue to Recruit Children

Child soldiers with Houthi fighters hold weapons during a demonstration in Sana’a on March 13, 2015. Reuters
Child soldiers with Houthi fighters hold weapons during a demonstration in Sana’a on March 13, 2015. Reuters

Yemen’s insurgency leaders have held a meeting with a number of elders loyal to former president Ali Abdallah Saleh to discuss the forcible recruitment of children following huge human losses within their ranks on the front lines, sources in Al-Mahwit governorate said.

The sources confirmed that the meeting discussed the recruitment mechanism in areas such as al-Taweelah, Bani Saad, and Shibam. Houthi supervisors were assigned to follow up the enlisting.

Meanwhile, insurgency militias continued to enforce taxes in Hawit and Amran which fall under their control. They have forced stores and merchants to pay sums of money for the alleged funding of the celebrations commemorating the insurgency coup on September 21.

Meanwhile, the popular resistance in Tuhama district continued to target Houthi and Saleh military bases, amid intensified clashes in several battlefronts in Taiz, Marib, Nahim, and al-Baydaa.

Coalition warplanes carried out raids on Houthi and Saleh militias, destroying three vehicles, five motorcycles and killing and injuring several of them, according to military sources.

The coalition also staged raids on Houthi targets in al-Jawf district, leading to deaths among the insurgents.

Army troops advanced in Marib and regained control over new mountainous areas following severe clashes in Heilan and al-Mashjah.

National army troops also succeeded in thwarting an insurgency attack in al-Tebbah al-Sawdaa of al-Qabitah district in Lahij governorate, a military source informed Asharq Al-Awsat.

In addition, militias continued to attack residential areas in Taiz, killing and injuring several civilians including women and children.

A military source in Taiz reiterated to Asharq al-Awsat that several residents were killed and a child was injured. He added that the western front of Taiz witnessed severe clashes, forcing the insurgents to flee.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) condemned the shelling on residential areas in Shab al-Doubba and Souk al-Samil in Taiz on Friday September 15, which left three children dead and nine others severely injuring.

ICRC's Regional Director for the Near and Middle East Robert Mardini urged all warring sides to take every precaution to spare civilians.

“We cannot turn a blind eye on the rising number of civilians injured or killed as a result of indiscriminate attacks in Yemen's conflict. Too often in recent months, civilians, women, men and children, have been in harm's way, becoming victims of shells and bombs," said Mardini.

The Regional Director added that what happened on Friday is yet another stark reminder of the immense suffering that civilians across Yemen are enduring in their daily lives.

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Israel Pressures Lebanon with US Cover

UNIFIL vehicles conduct a military patrol in a border area between Lebanon and Israel (DPA). 
UNIFIL vehicles conduct a military patrol in a border area between Lebanon and Israel (DPA). 
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Israel Pressures Lebanon with US Cover

UNIFIL vehicles conduct a military patrol in a border area between Lebanon and Israel (DPA). 
UNIFIL vehicles conduct a military patrol in a border area between Lebanon and Israel (DPA). 

Lebanese sources question the United States’ absence from Lebanon’s political and diplomatic scene, arguing that this has allowed Israel to escalate its violations of the ceasefire agreement.

They say that this disengagement has freed Israel’s hand to assassinate Hezbollah figures—most recently Hassan Badr—and conduct airstrikes on towns north of the Litani River.

The situation has been further complicated by the US-driven suspension of the international monitoring committee overseeing the ceasefire. This is tied to Lebanon’s reluctance to form three committees requested by US envoy Morgan Ortagus, addressing Lebanese prisoners in Israel, the Israeli withdrawal from occupied points, and border demarcation, including 13 disputed areas.

The political circles in Lebanon now anticipate Ortagus’ visit, during which she will meet key officials, including President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Israel, emboldened by US support, continues military pressure on Lebanon, raising concerns that it seeks to enforce UN Resolution 1701 through force to push Lebanon into negotiations that could lead to normalization.

There is speculation that Israel aims to trade normalization for a demilitarized zone extending beyond South Lebanon to include areas north of the Litani River, eliminating Hezbollah’s military presence there. However, Aoun has emphasized Lebanon’s defense strategy, which aims to ensure the state’s exclusive control over weapons across the entire country.

Sources suggest Hezbollah must adopt a pragmatic approach and support Lebanon’s diplomatic push rather than relying on military rhetoric. However, in a recent speech, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed the group’s commitment to resistance and warned of open-ended options if diplomacy fails. This stance appears contradictory, as Hezbollah has recently shifted toward diplomatic engagement, especially given Israel’s current advantage in deterrence and rules of engagement.

In contrast, Aoun and Salam have actively pushed for US intervention to enforce Israel’s withdrawal and implement Resolution 1701.

Israel’s occupation of several points has blocked the Lebanese Army’s deployment alongside UNIFIL to the international border. Blaming Lebanon for failing to comply with international resolutions is unfair when Israel continues its violations. The international monitoring committee has even praised the Lebanese Army’s efforts in implementing the ceasefire agreement.

Lebanese sources reject claims that Washington blames Aoun and Salam for not adhering to their commitments. They argue that Israel’s violations are the primary issue, not Lebanon’s policies.

Salam’s position on ending non-state weapons and moving beyond the “army, people, and resistance” formula was welcomed by Washington but rejected by Hezbollah, which continues to use the rhetoric for political mobilization.

Sources stress that Aoun’s refusal to negotiate normalization with Israel aligns with Lebanon’s political consensus. During his visit to Paris, he emphasized that border talks should follow the same diplomatic protocols used in previous maritime negotiations.

Meanwhile, intelligence reports suggest that Hezbollah was not involved in the recent rocket attacks on Israel, reinforcing Speaker Nabih Berri’s statement that these incidents may have been orchestrated by Israel for strategic purposes.

Security agencies are close to uncovering the truth, with Lebanese and Palestinian suspects under investigation.