Yemen Presidential Council Forms Security, Military Committee

UN envoy Grundberg meets with head of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Aden. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen).
UN envoy Grundberg meets with head of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Aden. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen).
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Yemen Presidential Council Forms Security, Military Committee

UN envoy Grundberg meets with head of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Aden. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen).
UN envoy Grundberg meets with head of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Aden. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen).

The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council announced on Monday the formation of a joint security and military committee.

Veteran military official Haitham Qassem Taher was named as head of the 59-member committee.

The formation of the body is part of the Council's efforts to consolidate its authority and efforts to unify the army and security forces.

Official sources added that the PLC also agreed to restructure the armed and security forces in line with the declaration of the transition of power in the country.

The Saba news agency said the meeting was chaired by PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi and other members of the council.

The sources added that the PLC agreed to form a committee that would assess and restructure the intelligence agencies.

The members stressed the importance of these committees in carrying out their duties to achieve security and stability and unify the armed and security forces under one national command.

This would boost the battle of restoring the state and protect the current national consensus, with the support of the Arab Coalition, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Yemenis are hoping that the security and military committee would be a changing point in that it would unify the military and security forces, which would consolidate the ability of the legitimate forces in confronting the Houthi coup and unite national forces that are keen on restoring the state and liberating the capital Sanaa from the militias.

Meanwhile, the legitimate government warned that the ongoing nationwide truce was on the verge of collapse due to the intransigence of the Iran-backed Houthi militias. The truce is set to expire on Thursday.

United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg pledged on Monday to extend the truce.

He held talks with Al-Alimi, members of the PLC and Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak in the interim capital Aden.

The UN office in Yemen tweeted that the meeting focused on re-opening roads in Taiz, which under a years-long siege by the Houthis, and renewing the truce.

"Discussions focused on the need to deliver results for civilians in Taiz and across Yemen. Grundberg noted that renewing the truce is critical to solidify benefits delivered so far and provide space to move towards a political settlement," it added.

The representative of the warring parties met for three days in the Jordanian capital Amman last week to discuss ending the siege.

They failed to reach an agreement with the Houthis rejecting the government delegation's proposal to open the main roads.

Lifting the siege was among the articles of the truce. The question of the blockaded city is key to extending the ceasefire.

Grundberg said a proposal had been floated in what he described as "an initial round of discussions" for a phased reopening of roads in Taiz and elsewhere, which would help facilitate aid deliveries and the movement of suffering Yemenis.

The representatives agreed to hold a follow up meeting.

Bin Mubarak informed Grundberg on Monday that the government was keen on ensuring the success of the truce to ease the suffering of the people.

He accused the Houthis of committing violations and stalling, complicating efforts to end the Taiz siege.

He expressed the PLC's commitment to exercise restraint to ensure that the truce holds, demanding that the envoy and international community pressure the Houthis and guarantee that all articles of the truce are implemented.

The sources said Grundberg hailed the government's position and keenness on respecting the truce to ease the people's suffering.

He stressed that lifting the siege was at the top of his priorities and that he is keen on extending the truce.



UN: At Least 15 Children Killed in Sudan Drone Strike

The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)
The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)
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UN: At Least 15 Children Killed in Sudan Drone Strike

The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)
The war in Sudan, ongoing since mid-April 2023, has caused extensive destruction across the country (AFP)

A drone strike on a displacement camp in Sudan killed at least 15 children earlier this week, the United Nations reported late on Wednesday.

"On Monday 16 February, at least 15 children were reportedly killed and 10 wounded after a drone strike on a displacement camp in Al Sunut, West Kordofan," the UN children's agency said in a statement.

Across the Kordofan region, currently the Sudan war's fiercest battlefield, "we are seeing the same disturbing patterns from Darfur -- children killed, injured, displaced and cut off from the services they need to survive," UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine Russell said.


MSF Will Keep Operating in Gaza 'as Long as We Can'

(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
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MSF Will Keep Operating in Gaza 'as Long as We Can'

(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
(FILES) A Palestinian man walks on his crutches to the Doctors Without Borders or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic, in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on new year's Eve, December 31, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

The head of Doctors Without Borders in the Palestinian territories told AFP the charity would continue working in Gaza for as long as possible, following an Israeli decision to end its activities there.

In early February, Israel announced it was terminating all the activities in Gaza by the medical charity, known by its French acronym MSF, after it failed to provide a list of its Palestinian staff.

MSF has slammed the move, which takes effect on March 1, as a "pretext" to obstruct aid.

"For the time being, we are still working in Gaza, and we plan to keep running our operations as long as we can," Filipe Ribeiro told AFP in Amman, but said operations were already facing challenges.

"Since the beginning of January, we are not anymore in the capacity to get international staff inside Gaza. The Israeli authorities actually denied any entry to Gaza, but also to the West Bank," he said.

Ribeiro added that MSF's ability to bring medical supplies into Gaza had also been impacted.

"They're not allowed for now, but we have some stocks in our pharmacies that will allow us to keep running operations for the time being," he said.

"We do have teams in Gaza that are still working, both national and international, and we have stocks."

In December, Israel announced it would prevent 37 aid organizations, including MSF, from working in Gaza from March 1 for failing to submit detailed information about their Palestinian employees, drawing widespread condemnation from NGOs and the United Nations.

It had alleged that two MSF employees had links with Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which the medical charity has repeatedly and vehemently denied.

MSF says it did not provide the names of its Palestinian staff because Israeli authorities offered no assurances regarding their safety.

Ribeiro warned of the massive impact the termination of MSF's operations would have for healthcare in war-shattered Gaza.

"MSF is one of the biggest actors when it comes to the health provision in Gaza and the West Bank, and if we are obliged to leave, then we will create a huge void in Gaza," he said.

The charity says it currently provides at least 20 percent of hospital beds in the territory and operates around 20 health centers.

In 2025 alone, it carried out more than 800,000 medical consultations, treated more than 100,000 trauma cases and assisted more than 10,000 infant deliveries.


Egyptian-Turkish Military Talks Focus on Strengthening Partnership

The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)
The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)
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Egyptian-Turkish Military Talks Focus on Strengthening Partnership

The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)
The Commander of the Egyptian Air Force during his meeting with the Turkish Air Force chief in Cairo on Wednesday (Egyptian military spokesperson)

Senior Egyptian and Turkish air force commanders met in Cairo on Wednesday for talks focused on strengthening military partnership and expanding bilateral cooperation, in the latest sign of warming defense ties between the two countries.

The meeting brought together the Commander of the Egyptian Air Force, Lt. Gen. Amr Saqr, and his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Ziya Cemal Kadioglu, to review a range of issues of mutual interest amid growing cooperation between the two air forces.

Egypt’s military spokesperson said the talks reflect the Armed Forces’ commitment to deepening military collaboration with friendly and partner nations.

Earlier this month, Egypt and Türkiye signed a military cooperation agreement during talks in Cairo between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Sisi highlighted similar viewpoints on regional and international issues, while Erdogan noted that enhanced cooperation and forthcoming joint steps would help support regional peace.

Cairo and Ankara also signed an agreement last August on the joint production of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones. Production of unmanned ground vehicles has also begun under a partnership between the Turkish firm HAVELSAN and Egypt’s Kader Factory.

During the talks, Saqr underscored the importance of coordinating efforts to advance shared interests and expressed hope for closer ties that would benefit both air forces.

Kadioglu, for his part, stressed the depth of bilateral partnership and the strong foundations of cooperation between the two countries’ air forces.

According to the military spokesperson, Kadioglu also toured several Egyptian Air Force units to review the latest training and armament systems introduced in recent years.

Military cooperation between Egypt and Türkiye has gained momentum since 2023, following the restoration of full diplomatic relations and reciprocal presidential visits that reflected positively on the defense sector.

In September last year, the joint naval exercise “Sea of Friendship 2025” was held in Turkish territorial waters, aimed at enhancing joint capabilities and exchanging expertise against a range of threats.