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Yemeni Activists Urge Int'l Intervention to Stop Houthi Plan to Demolish 500 Buildings in Old Sanaa

A general view showing the buildings included in the UNESCO list in the Old City of Sanaa (EPA)
A general view showing the buildings included in the UNESCO list in the Old City of Sanaa (EPA)
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Yemeni Activists Urge Int'l Intervention to Stop Houthi Plan to Demolish 500 Buildings in Old Sanaa

A general view showing the buildings included in the UNESCO list in the Old City of Sanaa (EPA)
A general view showing the buildings included in the UNESCO list in the Old City of Sanaa (EPA)

Yemeni intellectuals and activists urged interventions to stop the Houthi militia's plan to demolish 500 archaeological buildings in the Old City of Sanaa, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

They warned that the planned demolition includes four crucial markets intending to establish a sectarian shrine in the city.

Yemeni intellectuals fear that the behavior of the Houthis would remove the Old City from the World Heritage List, as the militias aim to change the demographic composition of the Yemeni capital.

A statement signed by dozens of Yemeni writers, authors, and activists expressed the Houthi militia's intention to destroy several homes and markets, urging the coup authority to refrain from building the shrine, which could damage the people and the area.

They expressed their solidarity with the residents of the Old City.

Residents described the plan as a "new Houthi crime against Yemen's land, history and heritage," saying it was complementary to previous steps targeting the city and changing its demographic composition.

The group previously hiked the rent of state-owned shops and homes and confiscated other facilities claiming they were public properties.

Yemen's Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Moammar el-Eryani, warned that the militias have begun to draw up construction plans to remove the four ancient markets and turn them into a shrine.

Eryani pointed out that the Houthi militia previously demolished the historic al-Nahrain Mosque, one of the oldest ancient mosques in the world, and leveled it to the ground.

The minister affirmed that the Houthi militia's systematic targeting and destruction of archaeological and heritage sites fall within its plan to change Yemen's identity and cultural, civilizational, and historical heritage.

He warned that the group aims to replace the Yemeni culture with an identity imported from Iran, which violates all international laws and conventions.

Eryani urged the international community, the UN, and relevant international organizations, led by UNESCO and ALESCO, specialized studies and research centers, and all interested parties, to condemn the "heinous crime."

He called for international intervention to stop the massacre that the Houthi militia intends to commit against one of the World Heritage sites subject to international protection, as the property of all humankind and part of humanity's history and identity.

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Arab World

Lebanon's Hezbollah Struggles with Missing Fighters Amid Community Pressure

Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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Lebanon's Hezbollah Struggles with Missing Fighters Amid Community Pressure

Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Mourners carry a picture of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the funeral procession of their relatives, in Maisara near the northern coastal town of Byblos, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The issue of missing Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli war continues to cause distress for both the group and the families awaiting news or the return of their remains for burial.

Three weeks after the ceasefire began, the fate of more than 1,000 fighters remains unknown. Contact with them was lost, and their bodies have not been found, leaving it unclear whether they were killed in battle or captured by the Israeli military.

The Israeli military has confirmed capturing Hezbollah fighters, though the exact number is unclear. Some reports suggest about 10 fighters are held, and the Israeli forces have released video footage of two of them being interrogated.

Hezbollah confirmed that prisoners are held by Israel, with former media official Mohammed Afif acknowledging their capture. Since the ceasefire, the group’s leaders have kept quiet about the issue, only stating it is being monitored.

They often refer to a pledge made by former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who said, “We will not leave our captives in prison.”

Sources say Hezbollah raised the prisoner issue during talks on the ceasefire agreement, but it was not addressed. They were promised it would be discussed later. Some believe their release could be linked to any broader resolution being worked on for Gaza.

Hezbollah has not yet revealed the number of its fighters killed during 66 days of conflict with Israel. The group stopped reporting casualties in late September, when the count stood at 450 deaths since the war began on October 8, 2023.

While estimates suggest more than 3,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed by the end of the war, sources tell Asharq Al-Awsat that between 1,000 and 1,500 are still missing after contact was lost with them.

Hezbollah has informed the families of these missing fighters of their status, either days before or weeks before the ceasefire took effect. They have said that their fate will be determined through ongoing search operations.

For those whose bodies were found, families were told their loved ones were “martyrs,” a term Hezbollah uses for fallen fighters.

Most bodies have been returned, and burials have taken place. However, many families were told their relatives are “missing in action,” as no trace of them was found due to the destruction caused by bombings, which made it difficult to search.

Fatima, who waited 60 days to hear from her husband, was informed two days ago that he is a “martyr, missing in action.”

Umm Hussein, the mother of another fighter, is still waiting for news of her son, who lost contact with her over a month ago.

Another woman, considered “lucky,” received her brother’s body after losing contact with him four weeks ago. She said: “Knowing he was martyred is better than waiting without knowing his fate.”

Zainab is still hopeful about her brother, who last contacted her 75 days ago. She was told he was in a hard-to-reach area, and search efforts would begin once Israeli forces withdrew.

Zainab remains hopeful, saying: “We haven’t lost hope. If he’s among the martyrs, we’ll still be happy because he has reached his goal.”

In contrast, Salma lost all hope when she learned her father had been killed.

“Although we lost contact with him about three weeks before the ceasefire, Hezbollah contacts reassured us he was fine. When the ceasefire started, we learned he had been martyred. It was a shock for us.”

Local sources in southern Lebanon told Asharq Al-Awsat that the issue of prisoners and missing fighters is becoming a major crisis for Hezbollah, especially for the fighters’ families and the community.

There have been growing protests and complaints against Hezbollah officials, who are being criticized for not doing enough for both the missing and captured fighters.

Hezbollah’s media also seems confused about how to handle the issue, as shown by conflicting reports.

On Tuesday, its news broadcast stated that bodies of martyrs were being recovered from the rubble in the southern town of Al-Adaisseh and would be extended to Taybeh and beyond.

However, two hours later, the report was updated, quoting a correspondent who said that “the Lebanese Army had not entered Al-Adaisseh, and no bodies had been recovered, nor had any similar operation been carried out in Taybeh.”

It also mentioned that “communications with UNIFIL forces on this issue had not been successful so far.”