Grundberg in Aden to Consolidate Yemen Truce

Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak meets with UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh on Monday. (Saba)
Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak meets with UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh on Monday. (Saba)
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Grundberg in Aden to Consolidate Yemen Truce

Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak meets with UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh on Monday. (Saba)
Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak meets with UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh on Monday. (Saba)

United Nations envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg arrived in Aden on Monday as part of his efforts to consolidate the two-month truce that was declared at the beginning of the month.

Hopes are pinned on the truce becoming a permanent ceasefire to the pave the way for peace consultations that would end the Iran-backed Houthi militias' coup.

Grundberg is scheduled to meet with government officials and members of the new Presidential Leadership Council.

On Monday, he met with head of the council, Rashad al-Alimi, and Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak in Riyadh where the truce was declared during the intra-Yemeni consultations.

Talks with Alimi focused on the implementation of the truce agreement, tweeted the envoy's office.

"They agreed on the importance of building on the truce towards reaching negotiated political solution to the conflict."

The envoy had flown in to Riyadh from Sanaa where he met with Houthi officials.

Talks with bin Mubarak focused on the latest developments in Yemen and ways to maintain the truce, especially in regards to opening roads to Houthi-besieged Taiz, revealed official sources.

The FM said lifting the siege was among the truce's top priorities.

He spoke of the dangers of Houthi violations of the truce and the government's keenness on consolidating it to pave the way for hope and peace.

He urged the need to prevent the Houthis from exploiting the truce to amass forces and reorganize their ranks.

The terms of the truce include facilitating the entry of 18 fuel ships into the ports of Hodeidah and allowing two commercial flights a week to and from Sanaa airport. The terms also include convening a meeting between the parties to agree on opening roads in Taiz and elsewhere to improve civilians’ freedom of movement inside Yemen.

Observers have expressed their concern that the Houthis would renege on the truce, especially amid daily reports of their violations.

Military media on Monday confirmed that the militias have been violating the truce on all battlefronts. On Saturday alone, the military confirmed 87 Houthi violations in fronts in the Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib, Hajjah and al-Jawf provinces.

Violations included attempted Houthi infiltrations in Marib that were thwarted by the armed forces and sniper attacks against the national army in Hajjah. One soldier was wounded in a sniper attack.



Israeli Forces Surround Lebanon’s Khiam Ahead of Storming it

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
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Israeli Forces Surround Lebanon’s Khiam Ahead of Storming it

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of al-Khiam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)

Israeli forces have blocked supply routes to the southern Lebanese border city of al-Khiam ahead of storming it.

They have also surrounded the strategic city with Hezbollah fighters still inside, launching artillery and air attacks against them.

Hezbollah fighters have been holding out in Khiam for 25 days. The capture of the city would be significant and allow Israeli forces easier passage into southern Lebanon.

Field sources said Israeli forces have already entered some neighborhoods of Khiam from its eastern and southern outskirts, expanding their incursion into its northern and eastern sectors to fully capture the city.

They cast doubt on claims that the city has been fully captured, saying fighting is still taking place deeper inside its streets and alleys, citing the ongoing artillery fire and drone and air raids.

Israel has already cut off Hezbollah’s supply routes by seizing control of Bourj al-Mamlouk, Tall al-Nahas and olive groves in al-Qlaa in the Marayoun region. Its forces have also fanned out to the west towards the Litani River.

The troops have set up a “line of fire” spanning at least seven kms around Khiam to deter anti-tank attacks from Hezbollah and to launch artillery, drone and aerial attacks, said the sources.

The intense pressure has forced Hezbollah to resort to suicide drone attacks against Israeli forces.

Hezbollah’s al-Manar television said Israeli forces tried to carry out a new incursion towards Khiam’s northern neighborhoods.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that since Friday night, Israeli forces have been using “all forms of weapons in their attempt to capture Khiam, which Israel views as a strategic gateway through which it can make rapid ground advances.”

It reported an increase in air and artillery attacks in the past two days as the forces try to storm the city.

The troops are trying to advance on Khiam by first surrounding it from all sides under air cover, it continued.

They are also booby-trapping some homes and buildings and then destroying them, similar to what they have done in other southern towns, such as Adeisseh, Yaround, Aitaroun and Mais al-Jabal.

Khiam holds symbolic significance to the Lebanese people because it was the first city liberated following Israel’s implementation of United Nations Security Council 425 on May 25, 2000, that led to its withdrawal from the South in a day that Hezbollah has since declared Liberation Day.