Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq

Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq
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Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq

Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq

Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged on Tuesday all Iraqis to cooperate to contain their country’s crisis and maintain the recent gains achieved by the government.

He voiced concern and regret over the escalation of violence and the number of victims left in Iraq's protests.

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded.

“The current crisis requires self-restraint and all necessary measures to meet the people's demands,” an official AL source said.

The source stressed the League’s willingness to assume its responsibilities regarding Iraq and its people and adopt what is needed to preserve the country’s stability.

Earlier this month, massive protests erupted in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and other central and southern provinces, calling for reform, accountability for corrupt people, improvement of public services and job opportunities.



Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis

Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis
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Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis

Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis

Houthi militias in Yemen said Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeted Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, following several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel.

The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports at Hodeidah, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib along with Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations. It came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned.”

Netanyahu monitored the new strikes along with military leaders, his government said. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The US military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days.

Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeidah, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has instructed its diplomatic missions in Europe to try to get the Houthis designated as a terrorist organisation.
The UN Security Council is due to meet on Monday over Houthi attacks against Israel, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said on Wednesday.