Houthis Seize 20% of Revenues of Health Sector Facilities

People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Houthis Seize 20% of Revenues of Health Sector Facilities

People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People ride a boat during an excursion at a dam in Sayyan near Sanaa, Yemen May 16, 2021. Picture taken May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Houthi militias in Yemen have gone beyond the pale by seizing 20% of the financial income of hospitals, clinics, and medical laboratories working in Sanaa. The Iran-backed guerrillas will funnel the collected funds to their senior leaders.

The arbitrary measure follows Houthis demanding that major hospitals and clinics, as of August, start paying the salaries of hundreds of its fighters, well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat under conditions of anonymity.

For the last two weeks, Houthi militants staged a far-reaching campaign that saw them install surveillance cameras over accountants' offices in over 80 private hospitals, 960 public clinics, 195 medical laboratories, and 890 private clinics.

The absurd monitoring system is meant to help the Iran-backed militia tighten its grip over the finances of the health sector and discover if institutions are hiding any revenues from the group.

Meanwhile, health workers in Sanaa affirmed that the campaign could not come at a worse time, given that the sector still is suffering from systematic targeting and extortion.

As for the latest levy imposed on health facilities, Houthis demand that 20% of total income be paid as “Khumus” to their leader’s family.

“Under many pretexts, Houthis have launched widespread campaigns against health sector facilities. In one of the campaigns, more than 110 private medical centers were closed in Sanaa and other areas run by the group,” sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Health workers and local reports have affirmed that the Houthi systemic targeting of the sector had triggered a hike in hospital and clinic fees, impacting the lives of thousands of Yemeni patients.

Moreover, Houthis have raised the fees for health sector licensing.

Each doctor now needs to pay 40,000 Yemeni rials to the group to practice medicine in areas of their control. Before the coup, medical practitioners paid the state a fee of 1,500 Yemeni rials.



Israeli Military Says it Struck 'Key' Hamas Figure in Lebanon's Tripoli

People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
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Israeli Military Says it Struck 'Key' Hamas Figure in Lebanon's Tripoli

People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had struck "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, the first targeted killing in the area for several months.

In a statement, Israel's military did not give the identity of the targeted person. There was no immediate comment from Hamas.

Lebanese state media said a car had been hit near Tripoli and the health ministry reported two people were killed and three others wounded, without identifying them, Reuters reported.

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups maintain a presence in various areas of Lebanon, mostly in camps that have housed displaced Palestinians for decades.

Since Hamas' cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel in 2023, Israel has carried out targeted strikes on Lebanese armed group Hezbollah as well as members of Palestinian factions in Lebanon.

Hamas' deputy chief was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs in early 2024, and other strikes hit Palestinian camps in northern Lebanon.

A US-brokered ceasefire last year ended the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, though Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon.

Tuesday's strike near Tripoli was the first time a targeted assassination had taken place in the area since the truce.

Meanwhile, US envoy Thomas Barrack continued a two-day visit to Lebanon to discuss disarming Hezbollah and other militant groups.