PARIS: The Arab coalition will not allow Houthi militias in Yemen to become like Hezbollah in Lebanon, its spokesman said.
Maj. Gen. Ahmed Al-Assiri said the coalition would not accept any notion that the militants become part of a solution in Yemen.
Speaking at a forum in Paris, Al-Assiri said military operations in Yemen are being performed with caution in order to protect civilians, adding that Houthi militias are trying to hide their command and control centers among civilians.
“We seek to deliver humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people,” he said. “The Arab coalition was created to preserve the Yemeni state, and the coalition’s main goal is to preserve its legitimacy and people’s rights, and to alleviate the suffering of civilians subjected to Houthis’ injustice.”
He noted that legitimate forces have achieved progress in Yemen and the political leadership has returned to Aden.
Al-Assiri said Yemen’s suffering started the day the Houthis turned against the legitimate government, with militias using civilians as human shields and disguising their military command among them.
He advised against “hasty” executions of military plans in Yemen, which “may lead to losses. The policy of blockading the militias leads to effective results.”
The coalition cooperated with Yemeni forces to defeat Al-Qaeda in Yemen, he said, stressing that it is seeking “a comprehensive political solution that satisfies everyone.”
A solution for Yemen has to entail the implementation of international resolutions and to be consistent with the will of the Yemeni people, with no gray areas that might consider the militants as part of the solution, Al-Assiri said.
He added that the legitimate government in Yemen is training young people on security and combating terrorism, while the coalition avoids using indiscriminate bombing that would endanger civilians.
Al-Assiri said the coalition’s sea blockade is not a siege, it is only a means of controlling the parties that use the waters, and as such, claims that the blockade has led to famine are false.
Saudi-led coalition ‘will not allow Houthi militia to become another Hezbollah’
Saudi-led coalition ‘will not allow Houthi militia to become another Hezbollah’
Head of Gaza technocrat committee in Washington for ‘Board of Peace’ meeting: Palestinian officials
- Shaath is scheduled to deliver a speech outlining the general framework of his plan for the first 100 days
- Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials have traveled to Washington for the meeting
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: The head of the Palestinian technocratic committee formed to handle day-to-day governance of Gaza, Ali Shaath, was in Washington Thursday to attend the inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting, two Palestinian officials told AFP.
“Ali Shaath... arrived in Washington at dawn today to participate in the Washington meeting of the Board of Peace,” a source familiar with the committee told AFP.
“Shaath is scheduled to deliver a speech outlining the general framework of his plan for the first 100 days. He is accompanied by the committee’s official in charge of the finance portfolio,” the source added.
A committee member confirmed to AFP that Shaath had arrived “following an invitation he received yesterday to attend the Washington meeting.”
Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials have traveled to Washington for the meeting, which was set up after the Trump administration, along with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of war in Gaza.
Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials have traveled to Washington for the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace,” which was set up after the Trump administration, along with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of war in Gaza.
At Thursday’s meeting, Trump is expected to detail pledges of more than $5 billion for Gaza.
The meeting will also look at how to launch the International Stabilization Force that will ensure security in Gaza.
