Analysts Predict Hodeidah Port to Lose Immunity Like Sanaa Airport

A boat carrying smuggled weapons to Houthis was stopped by the US Navy a few days ago in the northern Arabian Sea (AP)
A boat carrying smuggled weapons to Houthis was stopped by the US Navy a few days ago in the northern Arabian Sea (AP)
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Analysts Predict Hodeidah Port to Lose Immunity Like Sanaa Airport

A boat carrying smuggled weapons to Houthis was stopped by the US Navy a few days ago in the northern Arabian Sea (AP)
A boat carrying smuggled weapons to Houthis was stopped by the US Navy a few days ago in the northern Arabian Sea (AP)

Military analysts believe that the evidence presented by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition on the use of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Yemen for the smuggling of weapons has left the seaport at risk of losing its civilian immunity the way the Sanaa airport did.

The immunity of Hodeidah port will be lifted after the Arab Coalition clearly demonstrated its use in arms smuggling and the transfer of military experts of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Lebanon’s terrorist Hezbollah group, revealed Brigadier General Fawaz Kasseb.

On Sunday, the Arab Coalition released video footage of a Hezbollah member confirming that the sea was the only gateway for support to the Houthis

“If we lose the sea, neither support nor fighters will reach Yemen,” said the Hezbollah member in the video.

“The immunity of Sanaa airport, which was used militarily, was lifted, and this may be repeated with the port of Hodeidah, which is one of the areas through which Houthi receives weapons and Iranian and Hezbollah terrorist elements,” Brig.Gen. Kasseb told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“The port of Hodeidah will lose its immunity after displaying all intelligence information and making the United Nations face the present fait accompli,” he added, noting that the international body was unfortunately was carrying out a policy of long-term containment of the Houthis, a matter that led to humanitarian disasters,” he added.

Kasseb predicted that the coming period would witness joint naval operations between the Yemeni National Army, with the support of the Arab Coalition, to liberate the port of Hodeidah. This would completely cut off any smuggling through the port.

“Hodeidah is the anchor to the smuggling of Iranian missiles and drones,” confirmed Brig. Gen. Yahya Abu Hatem.

“It is a site for reassembling smuggled weapons, and the launching of missiles and drones towards civilian targets in Yemen and Saudi lands,” he added in a tweet.



Palestinians Must Not Be Expelled from Gaza, Berlin Says After Trump Comments 

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
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Palestinians Must Not Be Expelled from Gaza, Berlin Says After Trump Comments 

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)

The Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza, the German foreign ministry said on Monday after US President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians.

Asked for a reaction to Trump's comments, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Berlin shared the view of "the European Union, our Arab partners, the United Nations ... that the Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or recolonized by Israel."

Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt. Both countries and other Arab nations reject the idea of Palestinians in Gaza being moved to their countries. Gaza is land that Palestinians would want as part of a future Palestinian state.