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Houthis Accused of Committing Thousands of Children’s Rights Violations

A Yemeni child carrying a weapon during a gathering in Sanaa (Getty Images)
A Yemeni child carrying a weapon during a gathering in Sanaa (Getty Images)
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Houthis Accused of Committing Thousands of Children’s Rights Violations

A Yemeni child carrying a weapon during a gathering in Sanaa (Getty Images)
A Yemeni child carrying a weapon during a gathering in Sanaa (Getty Images)

At a time when dangers threatening Yemeni children are escalating, in terms of pandemics, malnutrition, and deprivation of education, government reports have accused Iran-backed Houthi militias of committing thousands of children's rights violations that included torture and forced recruitment.

The Yemeni government’s Sanaa-based human rights office documented 24,488 children’s rights violations in the Houthi-run city between November 2019 and November 2020.

“Militia violations against children included murder, kidnapping, physical assault, forced recruitment, looting and storming of health and educational institutions, and the establishment of sectarian activities and events,” said the director of the Sanaa human rights office, Fahmi al-Zubairi.

Zubairi urged the international community and organizations to take a serious stance on protecting Yemeni children from gross violations carried out by Houthi militias.

Last Friday, the National Committee to Investigate Human Rights Violations (NCHRV) concluded closed hearing sessions with victim children on major violations of the six human rights during armed disputes.

NCHRV member Ishraq al-Maqtari, in official statements, said that the committee commenced its sessions early this November and listened to 12 children who are victims of torture, disfigurement, rape, kidnapping and recruitment.

The committee also listened to the children’s parents, said al-Maqtari, pointing out that the sessions included testimonies from children and their relatives on details of violation incidents and perpetrators and the testimonies unearthed the violations and names and bodies standing behind them.

Maqtari said that since last November, the committee has investigated 661 cases of children who were victims of bombings, mutilation, mine explosions, forced recruitment, torture, and sexual violence.

She also verified that investigative mechanisms pursued by NCHRV are designed to reach the truth and to analyze patterns of human rights violations that encroached on the basic rights of children.

Maqtari expressed deep concern about the scale of violations and abuses that children suffer in Yemen and called on all warring parties in Yemen to immediately cease all violations of international laws.

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Arab World

Egypt Signals Possible Activation of Joint Defense Pact to Safeguard Sudan’s Unity

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt Signals Possible Activation of Joint Defense Pact to Safeguard Sudan’s Unity

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo on Thursday (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt has drawn explicit “red lines” regarding the conflict in Sudan, warning that any attempt to cross them would directly threaten Egyptian national security.

Cairo signaled it is prepared to take all measures permitted under the Joint Defense Agreement between the two countries, a position analysts describe as Cairo’s most forceful since the outbreak of war in Sudan in 2023.

The statement coincided with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi receiving on Thursday Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council.

El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s “full support for the Sudanese people in overcoming the current critical phase,” stressing Cairo’s unwavering commitment to Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, security, and stability, according to presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy.

During the visit, Egypt also renewed its support for US President Donald Trump’s vision for achieving peace and stability in Sudan, aligning with Washington’s broader approach to de-escalation and conflict resolution.

For the first time since the conflict began, Cairo publicly articulated non-negotiable red lines, stressing that Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity are inseparable from Egypt’s own national security. These red lines include preventing the partition of Sudan, protecting the country’s resources, and preserving its state institutions.

The Egyptian presidency underscored that safeguarding Sudan’s institutions is highly important and affirmed Egypt’s “full right to take all necessary measures under international law,” including the possible activation of the Joint Defense Agreement to prevent any violations.

Egypt and Sudan signed a military cooperation agreement in March 2021 covering training, border security, and countering shared threats, building on a Joint Defense Agreement concluded in 1976 to confront external dangers.

Maj. Gen. Yahya Kadwani, a member of Egypt’s parliamentary Committee on Defense and National Security, warned that efforts to divide Sudan necessitate firm red lines to protect Sudanese state assets and Egypt’s own security.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat that invoking the joint defense pact signals strong coordination within international legitimacy and existing bilateral agreements.

The presidency said Egypt is deeply concerned by ongoing escalation in Sudan and the resulting “horrific massacres and flagrant violations of basic human rights,” particularly in El Fasher.

Cairo categorically rejected the creation or recognition of any parallel political or military entities, warning that such moves would undermine Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity.

Ambassador Salah Halima, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, said Egyptian-Sudanese coordination aims to protect Egyptian, Sudanese, and Arab national security, noting that both countries are members of the Council of Red Sea Coastal States, which plays a strategic role in defense and development.

He added that Egypt’s stance aligns with the International Quartet initiative and a proposal advanced by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to the United States.

The roadmap calls for a three-month humanitarian truce, integration of the Rapid Support Forces into the Sudanese Armed Forces, and preservation of military cohesion.

The Quartet, which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, proposed last August a plan for a three-month humanitarian ceasefire, followed by a permanent cessation of hostilities and a political process leading to an independent civilian government within nine months.

Al-Burhan’s visit to Cairo followed talks in Saudi Arabia, where he affirmed Sudan’s readiness to work with Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoy Massad Boulos to end the war.

Amani Al-Tawil, Director of the Africa Program at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said Egypt’s position represents its strongest stance yet and aligns with Saudi and US calls to preserve Sudan’s unity, halt the war, reject parallel entities, and protect state institutions.

Arab World

Israel Considers Special Military Court to Seek Death Penalty for Hamas Fighters

A fighter from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, affiliated with Hamas, oversees the search for the bodies of Israeli hostages, with the participation of Red Cross personnel, in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Dec. 1, 2025. (EPA) 
A fighter from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, affiliated with Hamas, oversees the search for the bodies of Israeli hostages, with the participation of Red Cross personnel, in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Dec. 1, 2025. (EPA) 
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Israel Considers Special Military Court to Seek Death Penalty for Hamas Fighters

A fighter from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, affiliated with Hamas, oversees the search for the bodies of Israeli hostages, with the participation of Red Cross personnel, in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Dec. 1, 2025. (EPA) 
A fighter from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, affiliated with Hamas, oversees the search for the bodies of Israeli hostages, with the participation of Red Cross personnel, in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, Dec. 1, 2025. (EPA) 

Israel is weighing extraordinary legal measures that could result in the execution of up to 100 Hamas fighters accused of taking part in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack.

Defense Minister Israel Katz and Justice Minister Yariv Levin have discussed the creation of a dedicated military court to try hundreds of members of Hamas’ elite “Nukhba” unit, part of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, according to Israeli media reports.

Officials familiar with the deliberations said the proposed court would have the authority to impose the death penalty, with military prosecutors expected to seek capital punishment for about 100 defendants facing the gravest charges.

Senior figures from the Israeli army and the Justice Ministry attended the talks, including Itai Ofir, the chief military prosecutor, the Times of Israel reported. Katz said Israel was determined to punish those responsible for the attack “in a way that leaves no ambiguity,” adding that anyone who harms Israeli civilians “will be held fully accountable.”

The discussions come shortly after the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, released updated principles for controversial legislation that would mandate the death penalty for those involved in the October 7 assault.

The bill, which passed an initial Knesset vote in November and is now being debated in the National Security Committee, would allow military courts to impose capital punishment on Palestinians by a simple majority of judges.

Military sources said Israel is holding about 450 Palestinian prisoners classified as Hamas “elite” fighters, far fewer than the thousands initially cited at the start of the war.

According to Israeli officials, prosecutors intend to seek death sentences, most likely by firing squad, after the Israeli Medical Association reportedly declined to take part in executions by lethal injection.

Channel 14 said the detainees are being held at a special military facility under heavy guard, in conditions that have drawn criticism from international human rights organizations.

Officials have spent nearly two years debating how to prosecute the suspects in a way that would ensure execution.

The preferred option, according to the report, is to conduct trials outside the regular judicial system in highly public proceedings, likened to the trial of Nazi official Adolf Eichmann, who was abducted by the Mossad in Argentina in 1960, tried by a special tribunal in Jerusalem, and executed in 1962.

Critics warned that such high-profile trials could become a platform for putting Israel itself on trial over events preceding Oct. 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Israeli authorities said they have compiled extensive evidence, including documents seized in Gaza, interrogations of detainees, and video footage recorded by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters during the attack.

The move comes amid rising tensions in Israeli prisons. Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi recently warned of a possible inmate uprising due to harsh conditions.

The Prison Service later said his comments were taken out of context, insisting its policies, which are overseen by Ben-Gvir, are effective and that it is prepared for “any scenario.”

More than 9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 3,360 in administrative detention without charge or trial. Palestinian prisoner groups say at least 110 detainees have died in custody since the war began, including 50 from Gaza.

 

 

Arab World

US-Yemen Engagement Seeks to Bolster Partnership, Contain Divisions

Al-Alimi met with US Ambassador Steven Fagin in Riyadh (SABA)
Al-Alimi met with US Ambassador Steven Fagin in Riyadh (SABA)
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US-Yemen Engagement Seeks to Bolster Partnership, Contain Divisions

Al-Alimi met with US Ambassador Steven Fagin in Riyadh (SABA)
Al-Alimi met with US Ambassador Steven Fagin in Riyadh (SABA)

Several meetings held by US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin with the leadership of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) point to American attempts to reinforce the political and security partnership with the Yemeni government while containing internal divisions within the internationally recognized camp.

The move comes amid a complex domestic environment and growing regional challenges affecting Yemen’s security and stability.

The engagement included talks with PLC President Rashad al-Alimi, a meeting with council member Sheikh Othman Mujalli, and a video call with Major General Sultan al-Aradah.

Discussions focused on bilateral relations, political and military developments, and certain priorities, notably counterterrorism and confronting threats posed by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

Discussions with al-Alimi reportedly centered on the scope of Yemeni-US partnership and Washington’s role in supporting the Yemeni state, politically in international forums and through counterterrorism cooperation, as well as efforts to curb Iran-linked arms smuggling and financial networks.

Government reforms were also raised, in light of the need for international backing to ease economic and humanitarian pressures.

The talks addressed recent developments in Yemen’s eastern governorates and unilateral measures taken there, alongside regional efforts led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to contain tensions and restore normal conditions.

Yemeni leaders stressed the need to preserve consensus within the framework of legitimacy and prevent internal disputes from undermining unified security and military decision-making.

Yemeni officials also stressed adherence to the key references governing the transitional phase, particularly the Declaration on the Transfer of Power and the Riyadh Agreement, warning that bypassing these frameworks could create security vacuums exploited by the Houthis and terrorist groups.

In a broader assessment during his call with Fagin, al-Aradah described Yemen’s current phase as one in which political, military, and economic challenges intersect, calling for a firmer international stance and practical support to restore state institutions, cut off militia funding, and safeguard UN-led efforts.

In his meeting with Mujalli, Fagin discussed Iran’s role in enhancing Houthi military capabilities and the resulting risks to Yemen, neighboring states, and maritime security in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

According to Yemeni official media, the US ambassador reaffirmed Washington’s support for the country’s unity and territorial integrity, the cohesion of the PLC and government, and continued partnership in counterterrorism, humanitarian relief, and efforts to promote stability and development.