LONDON: Militias of deposed Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthi group in Yemen are using dead child soldiers for propaganda targeted against the Saudi-led Arab coalition, a senior diplomat said on Wednesday.
Mohammed Al-Jaber, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, said that the number of child soldiers recruited by the Houthis is on the rise.
When these children are killed, the militia uses their deaths for political purposes, he said.
“The Houthis — when these kids are killed on the battlefield — they took these kids, and bring them to the UN organization and say, ‘oh, the coalition attacked the kids,’ ” Al-Jaber told Arab News.
“They use it for their propaganda.”
Houthi militias have for a long time been known to use child soldiers in Yemen. Amnesty International said in February that new evidence had emerged that the Houthis are actively recruiting boys as young as 15 to fight on the front lines of the conflict in violation of international law.
Al-Jaber said that figures from organizations such as UNICEF indicate that the problem is getting worse.
“The UNICEF representative told us that the Houthis recruit a lot of kids. And this number has increased from month to month, from year to year. And they fight on each front,” he said.
Al-Jaber said a political solution is still sought in Yemen, and said the Saudi side has communication channels with all the relevant groups.
“We are in contact with all Yemeni parties, including the Houthis and Saleh, to convince them to go to the table and discuss all their issues,” he said.
There had been hopes of a cease-fire in Yemen during Ramadan, but Al-Jaber said he had received no communication of this.
“It’s a Yemeni issue. It’s also between Houthi-Saleh groups, militia, and Yemeni government. (If) they decide to go to the cease-fire, the legitimate Yemeni government will ask the coalition to cease fire,” he said.
The ambassador was talking on the sidelines of a workshop in London entitled “The Way Forward for Yemen: Saudi Perspectives.”
Nadia Al-Saqqaf, the former minister of information in Yemen, was another of the speakers. She was in her ministerial position when the Houthis launched their coup in Yemen, after which she said the militia “literally stormed my office.”
Al-Saqqaf, now a researcher in the UK, said that there had been a crackdown on freedom of expression and that there was a “culture of fear” in some areas of Yemen.
“So many Yemenis are now resorting to social media, WhatsApp for example. And it has saved lives. But at the same time… it has become a tool of threatening,” she said.
“Freedom of expression, or even activism… are all extremely threatened, especially in the north, where the Houthis are raiding the institutions.”
She described WhatsApp messages from Houthis that she said had requested people to send information on others accused of perceived misdeeds, asking for their name, address, Facebook and Twitter identities.
“Houthis and the Saleh regime are targeting activists, and there are so many people in jail now, tortured,” she said.
Al-Saqqaf said that Yemen’s problems must be solved from within.
“It’s actually a Yemeni problem, and we have to deal with it (in) a Yemeni way,” she said. “The solution for Yemen is bottom-up — there’s no superman who’s going to come and solve the country, and help everybody.”
Peter Salisbury, senior research fellow for the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House — one of the organizers of the workshop — said the Yemen crisis was not easily solved.
“There isn’t one simple answer,” he said. “It’s a deeply deeply complex conflict, and that requires a complex solution.”
Houthis ‘using dead child soldiers for propaganda’ in Yemen: Saudi envoy
Houthis ‘using dead child soldiers for propaganda’ in Yemen: Saudi envoy
Israel to partially reopen Gaza’s Rafah crossing
- Entry and exit “will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel”
- The crossing is the only route in and out of Gaza that does not pass through Israel
RAFAH, Palestinian Territories: Israel is set to partially reopen the Rafah crossing between the war-devastated Gaza Strip and Egypt on Sunday, following months of urging from humanitarian organizations, though access will be limited to the movement of people.
The reopening comes amid ongoing violence in the Palestinian territory, with Gaza’s civil defense agency reporting dozens killed in Israeli attacks on Saturday, while the Israeli military said it was retaliating against ceasefire violations.
The Rafah crossing is a vital gateway for both civilians and aid, but has remained closed since Israeli forces seized control of it in May 2024 during the war with Hamas, aside from a brief and limited reopening in early 2025.
Israel had previously said it would not reopen the crossing until the remains of Ran Gvili — the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza — were returned.
His remains were recovered days ago and he was laid to rest in Israel on Wednesday.
“The Rafah Crossing will open this coming Sunday (February 1st) in both directions, for limited movement of people only,” COGAT, an Israeli defense ministry body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, said on Friday.
Entry and exit “will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission,” it added.
However, key details remain unclear, including how many people will be allowed to cross and whether those seeking to return to Gaza will be permitted entry.
A source at the border told AFP that Sunday would be largely devoted to preparations and logistical arrangements.
The crossing is set to open on Sunday on a trial basis to allow the passage of wounded individuals, ahead of a regular reopening scheduled for Monday, three sources at the crossing said.
However, no agreement has yet been reached on the number of Palestinians permitted to enter or exit, the sources added, noting that Egypt plans to admit “all Palestinians whom Israel authorizes to leave” the territory.
“Every day that passes drains my life and worsens my condition,” said Mohammed Shamiya, 33, who suffers from kidney disease and requires dialysis treatment abroad.
“I’m waiting every moment for the opening of the Rafah land crossing.”
Anxious wait
Safa Al-Hawajri, who has received a scholarship to study overseas, is also eagerly awaiting the reopening on Sunday.
“I’m waiting in the hope of fulfilling my ambition, which is tied to the reopening of the crossing,” said Hawajri, 18.
“I hope to be able to travel as soon as it opens.”
Located on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, Rafah is the only crossing into and out of the territory that does not pass through Israel.
The crossing lies in an area held by Israeli forces following their withdrawal behind the so-called “Yellow Line” under the terms of a US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on October 10.
Israeli troops still control more than half of Gaza, while the rest remains under Hamas authority.
The ceasefire has now entered its second phase and calls for reopening the crossing following the release or return of all Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants.
Hamas had called for its full reopening in both directions after the remains of Gvili were brought back to Israel.
The reopening is expected to facilitate the entry of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), established to oversee the day-to-day governance of the territory’s 2.2 million residents.
The committee is to operate under the supervision of the so-called “Board of Peace” chaired by US President Donald Trump.
The NCAG, headed by former Palestinian Authority deputy minister Ali Shaath, is expected to enter the Gaza Strip once the Rafah crossing reopens.
Violence continued ahead of the crossing’s reopening.
At least 32 people, including children, were killed on Saturday in Israeli air strikes in Gaza, reported the civil defense agency, which operates as a rescue force under the Hamas authority.
Israel’s military said the strikes were retaliation for an incident on Friday in which eight Palestinian fighters exited a tunnel in the city of Rafah, which it said violated the ceasefire.
