Security Council Says Houthis Are Responsible for Not Renewing Yemen Truce

The UN Security Council (Reuters)
The UN Security Council (Reuters)
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Security Council Says Houthis Are Responsible for Not Renewing Yemen Truce

The UN Security Council (Reuters)
The UN Security Council (Reuters)

The UN Security Council said the Houthi militias were responsible for not renewing the truce agreement in Yemen, stressing that the last-minute demands of negotiations to extend the truce in the country impeded the UN mediation efforts.

The Security Council stressed the need to avoid the resumption of hostilities inside Yemen and attacks in the region and the Red Sea.

In a press statement, members of the Security Council urgently called on the Yemeni parties, especially the Houthis, to refrain from provocation, prioritize the Yemeni people, return to constructive engagement in negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations, and work urgently to extend the truce.

The members expressed their deep disappointment that the UN-mediated truce in Yemen expired on October 2 without the parties agreeing to extend it.

They stressed their expectation that the parties would find a way to restore the armistice, noting that the past six months saw the most extended period of calm since the war began and a dramatic reduction in civilian casualties.

The statement indicated that the expanded truce proposal would provide salaries to teachers, nurses, and civil servants in Yemen, open roads in Taiz and across the country, boost international flights, and ease the clearance process for fuel ships entering Hodeidah port.

The Council members renewed their support for the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, stressing that the extension would also provide an opportunity to reach a ceasefire.

They hoped it would lead to a comprehensive Yemeni-led political settlement with the fair and meaningful participation of women, under the auspices of the United Nations, based on the agreed references and under Security Council Resolutions.

They indicated that returning to negotiations and restoring the armistice is the way toward permanently ending this war and resolving Yemen’s humanitarian and economic crises, expressing deep concern over rhetoric threatening negotiations and actions impeding financial stability in Yemen.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee recently announced new sanctions on three Yemeni people for their involvement in terrorist activities.

The council indicated that the Commander of the Houthi Air Force and Air Defense, Ahmed al-Hamzi, was named for his activities and his role in the military efforts that directly threaten peace, security, and stability in Yemen.

The committee, established according to Resolution 2140, also named Houthi naval chief Mansour al-Saadi, who orchestrated lethal attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea and played a leading role in Houthi naval efforts that directly threatened the peace, security, and stability of Yemen.

The sanctions also included the former deputy head of its National Security Bureau, Mutlaq al-Marani, who was added for his role in the “torture and other ill-treatment” of detainees under his supervision.

Marani was also accused of directing the National Security Bureau to illegally arrest and detain humanitarian workers and planning the diversion of humanitarian aid in breach of international law.



Madrid Meeting Statement Calls for Israel’s Full Withdrawal from Gaza

Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares (C) addresses a press conference with (From L) European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Jordanian Foreign Minster Ayman Safadi following a meeting on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Madrid on September 13, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares (C) addresses a press conference with (From L) European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Jordanian Foreign Minster Ayman Safadi following a meeting on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Madrid on September 13, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
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Madrid Meeting Statement Calls for Israel’s Full Withdrawal from Gaza

Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares (C) addresses a press conference with (From L) European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Jordanian Foreign Minster Ayman Safadi following a meeting on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Madrid on September 13, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)
Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Manuel Albares (C) addresses a press conference with (From L) European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Jordanian Foreign Minster Ayman Safadi following a meeting on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Madrid on September 13, 2024. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)

Several Muslim and European countries meeting in Madrid have called for the implementation of the two-state solution in the Palestinian-Israeli crisis and for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, including from the Philadelphi corridor.

Other than the host Spain, in attendance were foreign ministers from Norway and Slovenia, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza that includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey.

A statement issued following Friday’s meeting said: “We fully support the ongoing mediation efforts undertaken by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and we reject all actions aiming at hindering this mediation process” to end the war in Gaza.

“We are calling repeatedly for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages and detainees. We also call for the reestablishment of the full control of the Palestinian Authority over the Rafah crossing and the rest of the borders and the full withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces from Gaza, including from the Philadelphi corridor,” said the statement.

It said that “the international community must take active steps to implement the two-state solution, including universal recognition of the State of Palestine, and its admission as a full member of the United Nations.”

The conferees also called for the urgent need to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.