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.



UN Official Says Israel Strikes Lebanon-Syria Border Crossing

 People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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UN Official Says Israel Strikes Lebanon-Syria Border Crossing

 People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)
People carry their belongings while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, as they walk past a crater caused in the aftermath of an Israeli strike that occurred early on Friday morning, at Jousieh crossing between Syria and Lebanon, Syria October 28, 2024. (Reuters)

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said an Israeli air strike hit "humanitarian structures" Saturday at a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria that was previously hit last month.

The crossing, known as Jousieh on the Syrian side, became a key escape route for those fleeing the Israel-Hezbollah war after the main border crossing between the two countries was hit.

But it was put out of service late last month when an Israeli strike created a large crater that blocked vehicle traffic.

"A new Israeli air strike hit the border post of Jousieh, where many Lebanese and Syrians cross from Lebanon to Syria," Grandi said on social media platform X.

"Humanitarian structures were also struck," he said, adding that "even fleeing and taking care of those who flee are becoming difficult and dangerous as the war continues to spread."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said two Israeli strikes hit the Jousieh crossing on Saturday.

The raid came after the main crossing between Beirut and Damascus, known as Masnaa on the Lebanese side, was forced to close by an Israel strike on October 4.

There are six official crossings between Lebanon and Syria, although there are many unofficial routes across the porous border.

Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of transporting weapons to Lebanon from Syria through the crossings.