Houthis Accused of Forcibly Displacing 4 Villages in Hodeidah

Houthi followers carry their rifles as they attend a gathering to show support for the Houthi movement in Sanaa (Reuters)
Houthi followers carry their rifles as they attend a gathering to show support for the Houthi movement in Sanaa (Reuters)
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Houthis Accused of Forcibly Displacing 4 Villages in Hodeidah

Houthi followers carry their rifles as they attend a gathering to show support for the Houthi movement in Sanaa (Reuters)
Houthi followers carry their rifles as they attend a gathering to show support for the Houthi movement in Sanaa (Reuters)

The Houthi militias started a large-scale campaign of demographic change in the southern districts of Hodeidah, displacing hundreds of residents from four villages and replacing them with residents from Saada and Hajjah.

The new plot is part of the Houthi scheme to change the demography of Sunni areas in particular, as they did in Sanaa.

Residents and local sources on the western coast told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthi militias began their operation last Tuesday and isolated the four villages using excessive force. They prevented the injured from being treated and launched a campaign of arrests that targeted more than 70 residents and village officials.

- Real Estate Confiscations and Arrests

The sources reported that large number of militia forces are carrying out a forcible displacement operation in al-Maarif, al-Hadaryah, Bani al-Sahel, Bani al-Sabahi, and the villages in al-Qasra.

It cordoned the area and prevented access to the road linking al-Hodeidah and the al-Hussainiya area, south of the Bait al-Faqih district

According to the sources, the Houthi armed men warned the residents of those villages to evacuate their homes and farms under the pretext that these lands belong to the endowments.

In fact, they wanted to evacuate the residents and bring in others from Saada and Hajjah after concluding fake contracts under the names of influential figures in Hodeidah who serve the militias.

According to local sources, dozens of armed military vehicles raided the villages and arrested over 70 people from the residents of those villages, including 12 officials.

The militias also transferred al-Taqwa Mosque and its annexes south of Bait al-Faqih to prison for residents who opposed the campaign. It also prevented ambulances from treating the injured, including 18 women.

The residents defied the military campaign, refusing to vacate their homes and farms.

The militias used 30 military vehicles loaded with armed men to conduct their campaign, accompanied by eight bulldozers, that leveled the farms.

The area the militias seek to confiscate is estimated at 10 square kilometers, according to the sources, housing over 5,000 persons. They inherited the sites from their ancestors hundreds of years ago.

The sources indicated that the campaign is led by the Houthi security leader Abu Yassin, from Saada. He is accompanied by the leader Abu Ahmed al-Hadi, the leader of the Fronts’ Mobilization Committee in Hodeidah, the intelligence official, Abu Amin, and the supervisor of the Bait al-Faqih district, Abu Atef.

- Government condemnation

The Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Moammar al-Eryani, condemned the terrorist Houthi militia raid, saying they stormed dozens of houses, fired indiscriminately, and arrested nearly 70 citizens, including dignitaries and children, as part of a comprehensive campaign to loot lands.

Eryani said the “heinous crime” comes within the plan of terrorist militia to confiscate more than 10 km of land owned by locals, “benefiting about 5,000 citizens and has been used for watering, pasture, and farms, after issuing instructions to confiscate it and turn it into a restricted military area.”

He called on the international community, the UN, human rights organizations, the UN and US envoys to condemn this heinous crime and pressure Houthi militia to stop confiscating civilians’ lands and properties in Hodeidah Governorate, immediately release all detainees and return the displaced to their homes.



Khiam: The Center of Arab-Israeli Conflict Faces ‘Fourth Wave of Destruction’

Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
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Khiam: The Center of Arab-Israeli Conflict Faces ‘Fourth Wave of Destruction’

Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)
Intense Israeli airstrike targets Khiam, Lebanon (AFP)

Residents of Khiam in southern Lebanon, hit by 12 airstrikes on Wednesday morning, see the attacks as yet another wave of destruction for a town scarred by conflict.
“Khiam has been devastated repeatedly, enduring pain with each blow over decades,” residents say. The town has already been destroyed three times since 1948 and faces new fears amid an intense military campaign and assault attempts.
Khiam, the largest town in the Marjayoun district, houses 35,000 people and over 5,000 homes.
Since 2006, it has expanded significantly, becoming a tourist spot with guesthouses known as “chalets.”
Since Oct. 2023, parts of these buildings, mainly on Khiam’s southern and eastern edges near Israel’s Metula settlement, have been damaged.
A Historic Staging Point Against Israel
Perched on high ground overlooking the Galilee, Khiam is open from the east, west, and south, providing a strategic link to the Golan Heights, Jordan, and northern Israel.
The town is known as the “last major Shia community” near Lebanon’s southern border, neighboring Christian, Druze, and Sunni areas.
This position made Khiam a focal point for Arab fighters against Israel since the 1940s and a regular flashpoint.
Historian Dr. Munzer Jaber says Khiam and other border villages have long faced displacement and Israeli bombardment.
In the 1940s, Khiam became a base for the Arab Salvation Army, which gathered volunteers from southern Lebanon and Syria, including units from Majdal Shams and Deir ez-Zor, led by Abdul Salam al-Ajili.
Since then, Khiam has seen frequent clashes with Israel due to its proximity to Metula, which Israel considers a strategic stronghold, Jaber noted to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Adding to the tensions, overlapping property claims among Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians, and Jewish residents often lead to disputes.
The repeated destruction and conflict in Khiam have driven waves of migration to Beirut, especially after Palestine fell, cutting off jobs for southern Lebanese. Key markets in Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil, and Khiam shut down, leaving the local economy in decline.
Khiam lost its political and economic role until 1965, when the first Palestinian guerrilla operation against Israel shifted its focus to militant activity. Palestinian and leftist groups gained influence, sparking local divisions and causing many residents to leave as Palestinian forces moved in.
Jaber told Asharq Al-Awsat that this conflict created a strong pro-guerrilla movement among Khiam’s youth, leading to clashes with local leaders.
The growing Palestinian presence gave Israel a reason for airstrikes and security raids, which intensified in late 1973, pushing more residents to flee.
The Khiam Massacre
Israel intensified its military operations in Khiam over the years. In September 1977, Israeli forces entered the town, leading to fierce clashes with the pro-Israel militia led by Saad Haddad and Lebanese-Palestinian joint forces.
Israel officially occupied Khiam on March 14, 1978, during the first invasion of southern Lebanon, following three days of heavy bombardment.
Just a few days later, on March 17, Haddad’s militia carried out a massacre, killing 61 people, the youngest being just 60 years old. Residents reported widespread displacement and complete destruction of the town.
Ongoing Destruction
For five years, residents did not return, as Khiam became unlivable. After Israel's occupation, some residents slowly returned as a security zone was established.
The “South Lebanon Army,” led by Antoine Lahad, took over the notorious Khiam prison.
In the 1980s, Israel turned the town into a training ground for urban warfare, conducting drills that left it in a state of sustained destruction for 15 years, until Israel withdrew in 2000.
After the liberation of southern Lebanon, Khiam began to expand as residents returned, rebuilding homes and starting businesses.
However, around 40% of these new structures were destroyed during the 2006 war, marking the third wave of destruction.
The conflict saw Hezbollah destroy several Israeli Merkava tanks in the Khiam plains.
Once again, residents rebuilt, creating a more modern town with new mansions, schools, and healthcare facilities, making it a key hub in the region.
2023 Conflict
The situation in Khiam is once again dire as Hezbollah launched its war in support of Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Official sources report that by Sept. 23, more than 550 residential units had been destroyed.
Each day, Khiam faces artillery shelling and Israeli airstrikes, with the frequency of these attacks rising recently. Israeli forces have begun a ground operation to take control of the town and its elevated areas.