Houthi Rebels Storm UN Agencies’ Offices in Yemen Capital After Israeli Airstrike Kills Houthi Prime Minister
In the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, offices of the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF were breached by local security forces on Sunday morning. Representatives from both agencies confirmed this development to CNN separately.
According to their statements, a staff member from WFP was detained, along with several employees from UNICEF. The agencies are currently seeking further information from the local authorities, expressing concern for the safety and well-being of their staff as their top priority.
The exact connection between these raids and recent Israeli attacks remains uncertain. Previously, the Houthis have targeted the United Nations and other international organizations.
Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister with the UN-backed government, has firmly denounced the Houthis’ actions, as reported by Yemeni state news agency SABA NEWS.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the strikes which resulted in the death of Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, mark only the beginning of Israel’s campaign against the group. Al-Rahawi, along with other Houthi officials, were killed during a strike on Sanaa on Thursday. The leader of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council confirmed the attack and vowed revenge.
The rebel group has a history of launching missiles towards Israel and attacking vessels in the Red Sea, claiming retaliation for Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Netanyahu has promised that the Houthis will face severe repercussions for their aggression against Israel.
Speaking at a government meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu declared, “We are undertaking actions unprecedented by anyone before us, and this is just the beginning of our strikes on senior officials in Sanaa – we will target them all.”
Since 2014, Yemen has been divided between a Houthi government controlling Sanaa and much of the north, and a rival administration more widely recognized in the south.