New UN Proposal Rules Out Reopening Any Main Routes in Yemen’s Taiz

UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)
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New UN Proposal Rules Out Reopening Any Main Routes in Yemen’s Taiz

UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)

United Nations envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg made a new proposal to reopen routes to Taiz and other Yemeni regions.

Unexpectedly, however, he ruled out reopening any main roads that connect Taiz to other cities, taking into consideration all the proposals submitted by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

Trusted sources said the envoy surprised the legitimate government with his proposal, which he handed in on Sunday.

Grundberg’s previous proposals on Taiz had called for reopening the main routes.

The envoy had met with a Houthi delegation in the Jordanian capital Amman over the past two days.

The Yemeni government was not invited to attend.

Days earlier, Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi had informed Grundberg his refusal to tackle any issues with the Houthis before they lift their siege on Taiz and reopen roads.

A Yemeni official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the envoy’s new proposal drops the demand to reopen the main route. The Houthis had rejected the opening of the main road.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said: “Unfortunately, not enough pressure was exerted on the Houthis to reopen the road to address pressing humanitarian needs.”

“Instead, pressure is being exerted on the Arab coalition and legitimate forces to renew the truce,” he added.

It is unreasonable to discuss a four-point UN agreement, when three of these points favor the Houthis, and stalling prevails when it comes to reopening the routes to Taiz and other regions, he continued.

“The Houthis are stalling and wasting time during every truce and they will suffer the consequences of its failure,” he warned.



West Bank Village Buries Palestinian Killed by Israeli Settlers

Mourners gather at a hospital in Nablus, West Bank, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, for the funeral of Muin Asfar, 24, a Palestinian killed during clashes with Israeli settlers in the village of Aqraba. (AP)
Mourners gather at a hospital in Nablus, West Bank, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, for the funeral of Muin Asfar, 24, a Palestinian killed during clashes with Israeli settlers in the village of Aqraba. (AP)
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West Bank Village Buries Palestinian Killed by Israeli Settlers

Mourners gather at a hospital in Nablus, West Bank, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, for the funeral of Muin Asfar, 24, a Palestinian killed during clashes with Israeli settlers in the village of Aqraba. (AP)
Mourners gather at a hospital in Nablus, West Bank, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, for the funeral of Muin Asfar, 24, a Palestinian killed during clashes with Israeli settlers in the village of Aqraba. (AP)

Residents of the occupied West Bank village of Aqraba buried a 24-year-old Palestinian on Sunday who was killed by Israeli settlers the day before, the mayor told AFP.

The man was killed during a violent confrontation involving firearms that lasted half an hour and left eight other people injured, mayor Salah Jaber said.

"It happened very close to the homes of residents. That's why they (came out) to defend their area, their homes and their farms," Jaber said.

"The shooting was clearly intended to kill. The injuries were extremely severe, even to the limbs -- one person was killed instantly," Jaber said, identifying the dead man as 24-year-old Muin Asfar.

Jaber said that although the Israeli army was present, "it was supporting the settlers more than protecting the Palestinians".

Contacted by AFP, the military said that it was looking into the incident.

Fouad Nafaah, director of the hospital in the nearby city of Nablus, told AFP that Asfar was already dead when he arrived at the facility.

An AFP photographer reported that relatives had come to the morgue to retrieve Asfar's body, which was wrapped in a Palestinian flag.

Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has soared since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 triggered the Gaza war.

Since then, Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 967 Palestinians, including many militants, according to health ministry figures.

Over the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official figures.