DUBAI: The Saudi-led military coalition fighting against the Houthi movement in Yemen said on Wednesday it would allow aid access through the port of Hodeidah and UN flights to Sanaa airport.
The coalition closed all air, land and sea access to Yemen earlier this month following the interception of a missile fired toward the Saudi capital.
It said it had to stem the flow of arms to the Houthis from Iran, seen by Riyadh as the movement’s main backers.
“The port of Hodeidah will be reopened to receive food aid and humanitarian relief, and Sanaa airport will be open for UN flights with humanitarian relief,” a statement from carried by the Saudi state news agency SPA said.
It added the decision would take effect from Nov. 23.
The coalition allowed the resumption of international commercial flights and opened Aden port last week, but it said the main aid route into the country (Hodeidah) would stay closed until it was satisfied its Houthi opponents could not use it to bring in weapons.
The Houthis, drawn mainly from Yemen’s Zaidi minority and allied to long-serving former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, control much of the country including the capital Sanaa.
Saudi Arabia and its allies have been waging war against them on behalf of the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, based in Aden.
Saudi-led coalition to reopen Hodeidah port, Sanaa airport for aid
Saudi-led coalition to reopen Hodeidah port, Sanaa airport for aid
Iran missile barrage sparks explosions over Tel Aviv
- Two near-simultaneous waves of explosions reverberating across the city
- Israel’s emergency services confirms plenty of damage but said there were no casualties
TEL AVIV: The latest Iranian missile barrage sparked a wave of explosions across Tel Aviv as firefighters worked to contain a blaze at a residential building near Israel’s commercial hub on Friday.
The blasts came after Israel expanded its campaign against Hezbollah, vowing retribution against the Tehran-backed militant group for joining the conflict following the killing on Saturday of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s state broadcaster said Tehran had fired missiles “against targets in the heart of Tel Aviv,” after Israel’s military said it was working to intercept incoming Iranian fire late Thursday.
AFP journalists in Tel Aviv heard two near-simultaneous waves of explosions reverberating across the city.
Rocket trails also lit up the sky in Netanya, a city north of Tel Aviv on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
After the barrage, Israel’s emergency services, the Magen David Adom (MDA), said its teams had visited several reported impact sites but that there were no casualties.
Israeli police said it was “currently handling scenes involving fallen projectiles in central Israel,” adding that there was “damage” but no injuries.
A projectile hit a building on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, forcing residents to evacuate.
At another residential site near Israel’s economic hub, firefighters worked to put out a blaze caused by falling debris after an Iranian rocket fire was intercepted.
Israel’s Home Front Command issues several rocket fire warnings early Friday for communities near the Lebanon border.
