Houthi Escalation, Attack against Saudi Universities Draw Condemnation

The Arab coalition shot down several Houthi drones fired at the Kingdom.
The Arab coalition shot down several Houthi drones fired at the Kingdom.
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Houthi Escalation, Attack against Saudi Universities Draw Condemnation

The Arab coalition shot down several Houthi drones fired at the Kingdom.
The Arab coalition shot down several Houthi drones fired at the Kingdom.

Several countries and organizations condemned on Thursday the escalation by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen against Saudi Arabia.

Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led Arab coalition and air defenses intercepted and destroyed eight armed drones fired by the militias towards universities in Jizan and Najran.

Bahrain slammed the Houthis for their continued attacks against the Kingdom, saying they are a flagrant violation of international laws.

The Foreign Ministry expressed Manama’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and all the measures it takes to protect its security, stability and territories. It urged the international community to stand against these heinous attacks that go against Saudi Arabia’s sincere efforts to resolve the Yemeni crisis and reach a comprehensive political solution in line with the initiative it announced on Monday.

The United Arab Emirates strongly condemned Houthi attack.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the ongoing terrorist attacks by the militias reflect their blatant disregard for the international community and all international laws and norms.

The Ministry urged the international community to take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these recurrent acts, which target critical infrastructure and threaten the security and stability of the Kingdom, as well as global energy supplies. It also stressed that the continued threat of these attacks in recent days is a grave escalation that represents new evidence of this militias’ attempts to undermine security and stability in the region.

It renewed the UAE's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia against these terrorist acts and its unwavering commitment to opposing any threat to its security and stability, confirming its support for any measures the Kingdom may take to preserve the safety of its citizens and residents.

"The security of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is indivisible, and any threat facing the Kingdom is considered a threat to the UAE's security and stability," the Ministry stressed.

Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, strongly condemned the hostile escalation of the terrorist Houthis against the Kingdom.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Dr. Nayef al-Hajraf condemned the Houthi attack. He remarked that the Houthis persist in these attacks in spite of the Kingdom’s announcement of a new peace initiative for Yemen.

The escalation reflects the flagrant challenge of the Houthi terrorist militias to the international community and their disregard for all international laws and norms, he added. This demands that the international community take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these continued terrorist acts.

He underscored the solidarity the GCC with Saudi Arabia in whatever measures it takes to defend its territories and preserve the safety of its citizens and residents.



Qatar Pledges Aid for Gaza as More Trucks Cross into the Territory

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
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Qatar Pledges Aid for Gaza as More Trucks Cross into the Territory

 This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)
This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows an afternoon view of destroyed buildings in Gaza, on January 20, 2025, following a ceasefire deal a day earlier between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group. (AFP)

Qatar on Monday announced plans to supply post-ceasefire Gaza with resources via a “land bridge” at Kerem Shalom, on the border between Egypt, Israel and the coastal Palestinian enclave.

After sending 25 fuel trucks to Gaza on Monday, Qatar plans to supply Gaza with 3.3 million gallons (12.5 million liters) of fuel over the next 10 days, its Foreign Ministry said. The fuel is intended to provide basic services and power hospitals and shelters.

Over the course of the 16-month war, the majority of aid has crossed into Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing, although it has intermittently closed amid disagreements over what kind of aid can be allowed into the strip. Israel previously restricted entry of some equipment, arguing it could be used for military purposes by Hamas.

Allowing more aid into Gaza is a central tenet of the ceasefire deal’s first phase and will be key to later reconstruction efforts. The deal allows for hundreds of trucks — more than Israel has previously allowed — to deliver aid to Gaza.

Egypt’s state-run press center said Monday that at least 300 aid trucks entered Kerem Shalom and the Nitzana crossing to the south since the ceasefire took effect, as well as 12 diesel trucks and four gas trucks.

However, some of those trucks have carried food aid labeled for UNRWA, the UN agency that Israel has vowed to ban from operating even as it remains the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.

Truck drivers told The Associated Press that throughout the war, vehicles have been turned back for minor bureaucratic infractions or not having aid properly packaged or wrapped.

“If items are approved, we unload them and head back to Egypt ... Some trucks have to drive all the way back with packages they left with that contain expired food aid or that the driver’s or truck information is not listed correctly,” driver Hamdy Emad said.