JEDDAH: Militias of deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthi group committed human rights violations when dozens of civilians in Taiz were killed or wounded in missile attacks earlier this week, according to a report issued by the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights.
The report, which was made available to Arab News, said the attacks occurred last Sunday through Tuesday.
“Today, Tuesday, the militia committed a new massacre against civilians by launching three missiles toward neighborhoods in downtown leaving 18 victims, dead and injured,” the report said. “The initial toll resulted from direct targeting and indiscriminate shelling in three days, from 21 to 23 of May, 2017, has escalated to more than 36 civilian victims, 14 killed and 22 injured, most of which have serious injuries,” said the report.
It further added that at least 11 children were killed or injured.
“The act of direct targeting and indiscriminate shelling of houses and neighborhoods, which are only inhabited by citizens the majority of which are women and children, shows how this militia underestimates the life of citizens and is always ready to make civilians a target for its military actions or as human shields in order to embody the spirit of killing and destruction practiced by the militia against all Yemenis,” said the report.
The report also noted that such crimes and escalation against civilians occurred in conjunction with the visit of UN envoy Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmed to the occupied Sanaa.
Moreover, the report said the coup militia continues to reject any international efforts toward peace.
The ministry said the publication of the report aims to condemn the criminal act and ensure the perpetrators will be punished.
“Accordingly, the ministry calls on all regional and international human rights organizations, headed by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to pressure and stand against these militias,” said the report.
Houthi-Saleh militia carried out massacre in Taiz: Govt
Houthi-Saleh militia carried out massacre in Taiz: Govt
More than 80 countries condemn new Israeli rules in West Bank, invoke the ‘New York Declaration’
- Surrounded by nations’ representatives, Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour reads statement at UN HQ denouncing the measures as ‘contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law’
- Critics say the steps — including expansion of Israeli settlements, legalization of outposts, direct land purchases by settlers, removal of oversight — amount to de facto annexation
NEW YORK CITY: More than 80 countries and several international organizations on Tuesday condemned what they described as unilateral decisions and measures taken by Israeli authorities with the aim of expanding their “unlawful” presence in the occupied West Bank.
Surrounded by more than 80 representatives of the nations and groups, Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, read a joint statement in which they said: “Such decisions are contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law and must be immediately reversed.”
Israel this month approved significant new measures that tighten its control of the occupied West Bank, focusing in particular on accelerating the process of registering land in a part of the territory known as Area C as “state property.”
The new steps, which critics say amount to de facto annexation, include the legalization of outposts, expansion of Israeli settlements, authorization for direct land purchases by settlers, and the removal of oversight on such transactions.
In their statement, the countries and organizations stressed their “strong opposition to any form of annexation.”
They continued: “We reiterate our rejection of all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem.
“Such measures violate international law, undermine the ongoing efforts for peace and stability in the region, run counter to the comprehensive plan, and jeopardize the prospect of reaching a peace agreement ending the conflict.”
They reaffirmed their determination “to take concrete measures in accordance with international law, and in line with the relevant UN resolutions and the July 19 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, to help realize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and to counter the illegal settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and policies and threats of forcible displacement.”
This stance is reflected, they said, in the 2025 New York Declaration, a UN-endorsed initiative proposed, following a conference in July 2025, by France and Saudi Arabia with the aim of reviving efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“We reiterate that a just and lasting peace on the basis of the relevant UN resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace, and the Arab Peace Initiative, ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and implementing the two-state solution — where two democratic states, an independent and sovereign Palestine and Israel, live side by side in peace and security within their secure and recognized borders on the basis of the 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem — remains the only path to ensure security and stability in the region,” they added.
