Yemeni Speaker Complains to UN over Houthi Violations

 Yemeni Speaker (SABA news agency)
Yemeni Speaker (SABA news agency)
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Yemeni Speaker Complains to UN over Houthi Violations

 Yemeni Speaker (SABA news agency)
Yemeni Speaker (SABA news agency)

Yemeni parliament speaker Sultan al-Barakani has called upon the international community to take firm stances on the Houthi atrocities against oppositionists.

“The militia are doing what they are doing amidst international silence,” he said.

The Speaker noted that Houthis are taking control of the houses of parliamentarians in the capital Sanaa and other areas under their control.

Houthis have lately confiscated the house of Yasser Al-Awadhi, a tribal and political leader who led a military uprising against their rule in the central province of Al-Bayda.

Early this year, the Iran-backed Houthi militia had attacked and confiscated properties of 35 Yemeni MPs who back the internationally recognized government.

In a separate letter to the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, al-Barakani called on the UN to save the Yemeni people from the serial deterioration of their lives since the September 2014 Houthi coup including the proliferation of coronavirus in the population centers they control; the death sentences against MPs, politicians and journalists; and other terrorist acts, in disregard for all UN resolutions and human values.

Meanwhile, Yemen's National Alliance of Political Parties (NAPP), a group of parties loyal to the internationally recognized government, had also called on the UN and its envoy to condemn the ongoing Houthi attacks against Yemeni pro-government leaders.

“Such ill-disciplined actions are considered terrorism and an organized violence and they prove that militias give no considerations to the values and morals of the Yemeni society,” they said in a statement.

The parties added that the militias insist on continuing the series of their crimes against the Yemeni people, rejecting all international efforts to reach peace in the country.

“Such behavior is reflected in their decision issued last March to sentence 35 Yemeni pro-government deputies to death,” after charging them with cooperating with the Saudi-led Arab coalition, the statement added.

The charges include parliament Speaker Sultan al-Burkani, his deputy Abdulaziz al-Jabari, Jawf governor Amin al-Akimi and Chief of Staff Sagheer bin Aziz.



Report: Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza Than Back in

 A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)
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Report: Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza Than Back in

 A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)
A general view of destroyed houses in areas marked as 'Yellow Line' by the Israeli military, in east of Gaza City, January 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in, three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters ahead of the border's expected opening next week.

The head of a transitional Palestinian committee backed by the US to temporarily administer Gaza, Ali Shaath, announced on Thursday that the Rafah Border Crossing - effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there - would open next week.

The border was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war, under a ceasefire reached in October between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier this month, Washington announced that ‌the plan had now ‌moved into the second phase, under which Israel is expected to ‌withdraw ⁠troops further from ‌Gaza and Hamas is due to yield control of the territory's administration. The Gaza side of the crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024.

The three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said it was still not clear how Israel planned to enforce limits on the number of Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt, or what ratio of exits to entries it aimed to achieve.

Israeli officials have spoken in the past about encouraging Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza, although they deny intending to transfer the population out by ⁠force. Palestinians are highly sensitive to any suggestion that Gazans could be expelled, or that those who leave temporarily could be barred from returning.

The ‌Rafah Crossing is expected to be staffed by Palestinians affiliated with the ‍Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and monitored by EU personnel, ‍as took place during an earlier, weeks-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas early last year.

The Israeli prime ‍minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. The military referred questions to the government, declining to comment.

An Israeli official told Reuters the government would determine when the border would open and that Palestinians would not be able to leave or enter Gaza without approval from Israel.

The three sources said that Israel also wants to establish a military checkpoint inside Gaza near the border, through which all Palestinians entering or leaving would be required to pass and be subjected to Israeli security checks.

The US ⁠Embassy in Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Washington supported Israel in limiting the number of Palestinians entering Gaza or setting up a checkpoint to screen those entering and leaving.

Under the initial phase of Trump's plan, the Israeli military partially pulled back its forces within Gaza but retained control of 53% of the territory including the entire land border with Egypt. Nearly all of the territory's population lives in the rest of Gaza, under Hamas control and mostly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

The sources said that it was not clear how individuals would be dealt with if they were blocked by Israel's military from passing through its checkpoint, particularly those entering from Egypt.

The Israeli government has repeatedly objected to the opening of the border, with some officials saying Hamas must first return the body of an Israeli police officer held in Gaza, the final human ‌remains of a hostage due to be transferred under the ceasefire's first phase.

US officials in private say that Washington, not Israel, is driving the rollout of the president's plan to end the war.


Report: US Pressures Iraq to ‘Rapidly’ Disarm Iran-Backed Factions

Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
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Report: US Pressures Iraq to ‘Rapidly’ Disarm Iran-Backed Factions

Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)
Iraqi border security force personnel patrol in their armored vehicles along the border with Syria, in Sinjar district, northern Iraq on January 22, 2026. (AFP)

US officials have been pressuring Iraq to disarm Iran-backed armed factions, reported the Financial Times on Friday.

“In tense meetings with senior Iraqi political leaders tasked with forming the next government, US officials have in recent weeks also pushed the Iraqis to produce a ‘credible’ plan to rapidly disarm the groups,” it said.

Washington is exerting pressure on senior Iraqi politicians to form a government that excludes those factions, amid US President Donald Trump's efforts to curb Tehran's influence in Baghdad.

The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that American officials threatened to take punitive measures if Baghdad did not do so, including economic measures, such as limiting dollar flows related to Iraqi oil sales.

Since 2003, under an arrangement after the American invasion of Iraq, Washington has been sending Baghdad cash shipments worth billions of dollars annually via monthly air freight flights, which are funds collected from Iraqi oil sales, the proceeds of which are deposited in the country's account with the Federal Reserve.

However, the United States has long been concerned that armed factions and Iran would use these funds. In 2015, Washington temporarily suspended dollar supplies to Baghdad amid concerns that they were flowing to Tehran and the ISIS extremist group.

The sources said that Iraqis fear instability and the outbreak of an economic crisis if Washington stops these supplies again.


Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza than Back In

People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Israel Aims to Ensure More Palestinians Are Let Out of Gaza than Back In

People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
People stand at the gate of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, February 11, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than ​in, three sources briefed on the matter said ahead of the border's expected opening next week.

The head of a transitional Palestinian committee backed by the US to temporarily administer Gaza, Ali Shaath, announced on Thursday that the Rafah Border Crossing - effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there - would open next week.

The border was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war, under a ceasefire reached in October between Israel and Hamas.

Earlier this month, Washington announced that the plan had now ‌moved into the ‌second phase, under which Israel is expected to withdraw troops further from ‌Gaza ⁠and ​Hamas ‌is due to yield control of the territory's administration. The Gaza side of the crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024.

The three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said it was still not clear how Israel planned to enforce limits on the number of Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt, or what ratio of exits to entries it aimed to achieve, Reuters reported.

Israeli officials have spoken in the past about encouraging Palestinians to emigrate from Gaza, although they deny intending to transfer the population out by force. Palestinians ⁠are highly sensitive to any suggestion that Gazans could be expelled, or that those who leave temporarily could be barred from returning.

The Rafah ‌Crossing is expected to be staffed by Palestinians affiliated with the ‍Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and monitored by EU personnel, ‍as took place during an earlier, weeks-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas early last year.

The Israeli ‍prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. The military referred questions to the government, declining to comment.

The three sources said that Israel also wants to establish a military checkpoint inside Gaza near the border, through which all Palestinians entering or leaving would be required to pass and be subjected to Israeli ​security checks.

Two other sources also said that Israeli officials had insisted on setting up a military checkpoint in Gaza to screen Palestinians moving in and out.

The US Embassy in ⁠Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Washington supported Israel in limiting the number of Palestinians entering Gaza or setting up a checkpoint to screen those entering and leaving.

Under the initial phase of Trump's plan, the Israeli military partially pulled back its forces within Gaza but retained control of 53% of the territory including the entire land border with Egypt. Nearly all of the territory's population lives in the rest of Gaza, under Hamas control and mostly in makeshift tents or damaged buildings.

The sources said that it was not clear how individuals would be dealt with if they were blocked by Israel's military from passing through its checkpoint, particularly those entering from Egypt.

The Israeli government has repeatedly objected to the opening of the border, with some officials saying Hamas must first return the body of an Israeli police officer held in Gaza, the ‌final human remains of a hostage due to be transferred under the ceasefire's first phase.

US officials in private say that Washington, not Israel, is driving the rollout of the president's plan to end the war.