Arab Parliament Blames Houthis For Yemen's Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

 Arab Parliament (SABA news agency)
Arab Parliament (SABA news agency)
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Arab Parliament Blames Houthis For Yemen's Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

 Arab Parliament (SABA news agency)
Arab Parliament (SABA news agency)

The Arab Parliament blamed Sunday the Iran-backed Houthi militias for the worsening Yemeni humanitarian crisis.

The Parliament said the militia group was blocking humanitarian efforts, closing seaports and obstructing access to humanitarian aid, foodstuffs, medical supplies and fuels.

In a statement following a meeting in Cairo, the Parliament called on the international community and human rights organizations to take practical steps to lift the severe blockade imposed on the Yemeni southwestern city of Taiz by the Iranian-backed Houthi group.

More so, it condemned the terrorist attacks that Houthis continue to carry out against civilians, accusing the militias of increasing the number of displaced persons and of attacking hospitals and medical units.

The Cairo-based legislative body condemned the militia group for blocking civilians from their rights of obtaining medical services, particularly amid the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic across the country, warning from a possible surge in COVID-19 infections.

It also welcomed Saudi Arabia's proposal to put an end to the Yemeni crisis, affirming its full support for the initiative that offers a chance to initiate comprehensive political dialogue.

In his briefing to the UNSC last month, UN Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths has warned of a “dramatic” deterioration in the country’s ongoing conflict.



Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon,  January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
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Israel Sees More to Do on Lebanon Ceasefire

FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon,  January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A car drives past damaged buildings in Naqoura, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ali Hankir/File Photo

Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal.

The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT).

The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities triggered by the Gaza war. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left Hezbollah severely weakened.

"There have been positive movements where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL have taken the place of Hezbollah forces, as stipulated in the agreement," Israeli government spokesmen David Mencer told reporters, referring to UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"We've also made clear that these movements have not been fast enough, and there is much more work to do," he said, affirming that Israel wanted the agreement to continue.

Mencer did not directly respond to questions about whether Israel had requested an extension of the deal or say whether Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon after Monday's deadline.

Hezbollah said in a statement that there had been leaks talking about Israel postponing its withdrawal beyond the 60-day period, and that any breach of the agreement would be unacceptable.
The statement said that possibility required everyone, especially Lebanese political powers, to pile pressure on the states which sponsored the deal to ensure "the implementation of the full (Israeli) withdrawal and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the last inch of Lebanese territory and the return of the people to their villages quickly.”

Any delay beyond the 60 days would mark a blatant violation of the deal with which the Lebanese state would have to deal "through all means and methods guaranteed by international charters" to recover Lebanese land "from the occupation's clutches," Hezbollah said.