Houthi Landmines Kill 100 Civilians During Ceasefire in Yemen

Houthi mines and unexploded ordnance seized by the Saudi Project for Landmines Clearance in Yemen (MASAM)
Houthi mines and unexploded ordnance seized by the Saudi Project for Landmines Clearance in Yemen (MASAM)
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Houthi Landmines Kill 100 Civilians During Ceasefire in Yemen

Houthi mines and unexploded ordnance seized by the Saudi Project for Landmines Clearance in Yemen (MASAM)
Houthi mines and unexploded ordnance seized by the Saudi Project for Landmines Clearance in Yemen (MASAM)

The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs revealed that casualties increased by 38 percent during the truce due to Houthi landmines.

According to the latest UN office reports, 169 children and 79 women were killed or injured in the six months following the truce, citing landmines and unexploded artillery as the primary cause of casualties.

The report stated that landmines and unexploded artillery caused 343 civilian casualties, including 95 deaths, and 248 injuries, between Apr. 2 and Sept. 30, compared to 248, including 101 deaths and 147 injuries, in the six months before the ceasefire.

It also noted that preliminary evidence indicated torrential rains and flooding in July and August caused the explosive materials to shift.

Meanwhile, the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project stated that the monthly rate of civilian casualties dropped 54.3-percent, from 2,051 (including 630 deaths) during the six months preceding the truce to 936 (including 288 fatalities) between Apr. 2 and Sept. 21, 2022.

According to the project, this year's victims were mainly in Hodeidah, Taiz, Saada, Marib, and al-Jawf.

Hodeidah saw significantly higher numbers, and of the 598 civilian casualties reported in the governorate since the beginning of 2018, 31 percent have been killed in the nine months since the governorate’s frontlines shifted in 2021.

The UN office renewed the call for urgent and concrete efforts to clear the areas, noting insufficient funding from the Mine Action-Global Protection Cluster, noting that demining partners cleared 2,653,198 square meters of contaminated land across Yemen starting last June.

The office recalled the great benefits of the truce, saying it led to a decrease in the average monthly rate of internally displaced persons by 76 percent, noting that between Apr. 2 and Sept. 30, 11,294 families were displaced, compared to 46,640 families in the six months preceding the truce.

According to the report of the UN office, about 69 percent of the displacement, amounting to 7,500 families, has been reported since the declaration of the truce, most of whom fled sporadic clashes in areas along the front lines.

However, the UN report confirmed that the total number of displaced people decreased significantly in these governorates, compared to six months before the armistice when it was 32,775.



Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank in Latest Violent Attack on Palestinian Villages

Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Israeli Settlers Set Fire to Mosque in West Bank in Latest Violent Attack on Palestinian Villages

Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the damage done to a mosque, after a reported attack by Israeli settlers, in the town of Marda near the West Bank city of Salfit on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque and vandalized property in the northern occupied West Bank on Friday, the head of the Palestinian village council said, as Israeli police pledged to investigate the episode.

The West Bank has seen a surge in violence by Jewish settlers during the war in Gaza, and rights groups say the Israeli army often turns a blind eye.

Nasfat al-Khafash, the head of the council in Marda where the attack occurred, said a group of settlers arrived early in the morning, setting the mosque on fire and scrawling hateful messages on it.

Associated Press video showed spray-painted stars of David and the words in Hebrew, “the mosque will burn, the temple will be built,” an apparent reference to the ultranationalist desire to establish a Third Temple for Jews in Jerusalem at the holiest and most contested site in the Holy Land.

“These slogans reflect their upbringing and hatred towards Palestinians and Arabs,” said al-Khafash, adding that the settlers received “full support” from the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the furthest-right government in Israel’s history.

Israel’s police, military and Shin Bet internal security agency said they were investigating the episode. “We view the incident seriously and will act with determination to bring those responsible to justice,” they said in a statement.

The UN’s humanitarian office said settler attacks on Palestinian farmers during this fall's olive harvest season “at least tripled” in 2024 compared to the each of the last three years.

In the West Bank and east Jerusalem, more than 700,000 Jewish settlers have Israeli citizenship, while the 3 million Palestinians in the territory live under Israeli military law.