KSrelief: Houthis Hamper Access of 632 Ships, Trucks

KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat
KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat
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KSrelief: Houthis Hamper Access of 632 Ships, Trucks

KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat
KSrelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily during a news conference in Riyadh on Monday. Asharq Al-Awsat

An official from King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid and Relief (KSrelief) revealed on Monday that Houthis blocked 65 relief ships at Hodeidah and Saleef ports in addition to 567 relief-loaded trucks in various Yemeni regions between April 2015 and December 2017. 

KSRelief spokesman Dr. Samer Aljetaily said during a news conference in Riyadh that Houthi militias confiscated during the past four months around 363 relief trucks, looted 6,315 relief baskets and traded them in the black market in areas controlled by the insurgents.

He added that KSrelief’s total number of aid projects worldwide stands at 308 with 119 partners at the value of $967m while the total number of projects in Yemen stands at 175, implemented in association with 77 partners at the cost of $821m.

During the past two years, he said, the center provided 7,590 people with relief assistance by air and that 364,000 people from 85 nationalities were evacuated from Yemen.

In the first half of 2017, Houthi militias recruited 568 Yemeni children under the age of 18, and more than 8,000 children since 2015, he said.

The center launched the third phase of its Yemeni children rehabilitation program for those recruited by the Houthis, he stated, adding that the program, which targets 2,000 children, aims to help them integrate into the Yemeni community.

Commenting on cholera updates, Aljetaily declared that no cholera-related deaths were recorded in the past weeks, affirming that several organizations shut down their private clinics in multiple Yemeni provinces in an indicator on the successful efforts to halt the spread of the disease.



Where Do the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Talks Stand?

Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)
Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)
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Where Do the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Talks Stand?

Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)
Palestinians carry bodies of relatives killed in Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Tuesday. (AP)

Israeli media has intensified coverage of a potential breakthrough in negotiations with Hamas aimed at securing a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which could pave the way for more serious talks on a permanent truce, according to both Israeli officials and sources within the Palestinian group.

Hamas sources confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that indirect negotiations are still underway, although no tangible progress has been achieved so far.

They described the process as “ongoing but fluctuating,” citing shifts in momentum due to regional distractions, including the Iranian-Israeli conflict, and the mediators’ engagement with other files they deem more pressing.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at possible progress, saying he might dispatch a delegation to resume negotiations and had instructed officials to push forward with talks.

Senior Hamas officials inside and outside Gaza said there have been moments of increased activity in the talks, but no major breakthrough has occurred. However, they acknowledged some progress based on “positive signals” conveyed by mediators regarding a proposal recently advanced by US envoy Steve Witkoff.

The US plan reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire period during which Israeli hostages held by Hamas would be released in stages.

According to Hamas sources, mediators have assured the group that such a phased release would ensure Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire throughout the full duration of the truce.

Sources have not ruled out the possibility of a “serious breakthrough” in ceasefire negotiations in the coming days, but warned that any progress ultimately depends on Israel’s stance.

“The main obstacle is not just ensuring a 60-day ceasefire,” one Hamas official told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The real issue is securing clear guarantees that serious negotiations will follow that could lead to a comprehensive agreement to end the war. Israel continues to stall on this point, and that could once again derail the entire process,” they added.

The official dismissed recent Israeli media reports claiming “significant progress” had been made, calling them “nothing but political maneuvering.”

“Everything depends on Israel,” the source told Asharq Al-Awsat. “But so far, the Netanyahu government has failed to offer any clear commitments to ending the war. What’s being circulated in the Israeli media is just part of Israel’s ongoing evasive tactics.”

Hamas sources said mediators had offered reassurances regarding the implementation of a humanitarian protocol and steps to alleviate Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis - issues the group says must be addressed alongside any ceasefire arrangement.

Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday that unnamed regional sources have pointed to “very significant progress” in negotiations toward a potential hostage deal, which could include a ceasefire and steps to end the war in Gaza.

“The two sides have shown flexibility, but both are wary of the consequences of confronting Iran,” one source was quoted as saying. The report added that the Israeli delegation has yet to travel to Doha out of concern that doing so could slow, rather than accelerate, the pace of negotiations.

According to the newspaper, US officials recently told the families of Israeli hostages that there are “extremely positive signs” of a potential breakthrough.

However, an unnamed Israeli official cautioned that the talks cover far more than just the initial stage of releasing eight to ten living captives. “The issues at hand are much broader and relate to effectively ending the war,” the official said.

Families of the Israeli hostages have been urging the government to prioritize their release and to seize the opportunity presented by the situation with Iran to push for a resolution.