Houthi soldiers take part in an anti-Israel protest in Sana’a, Yemen, on 29 August. Image: EPA via Straits Time.
(The Post News) – Days after an Israeli airstrike killed the Houthis’ prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, along with several cabinet members, the Iran-backed rebels raided United Nations offices in Sanaa, Yemen, detaining 11 staff members.
On Sunday morning, Houthi fighters stormed the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations’ food offices, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) offices. They seized property and detained employees. The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, confirmed that at least 11 UN personnel were taken.
In a statement, Grundberg and UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the staff. They also criticized the forced entry into UN premises and the seizure of property. Both WFP and UNICEF said they are urgently trying to gather more information from regional authorities and are prioritizing the safety and well-being of their staff.
According to local reports, Moammar al-Eryani, information minister for Yemen’s UN-backed government, also strongly denounced the Houthis’ actions. The anti-Israel group has yet to publicly comment on the raids. It remains unclear whether the attacks are directly linked to Israel’s recent strikes, particularly given the group’s history of detaining international aid workers. The Straits Times noted that the Houthis previously detained 23 UN personnel, including eight staff members recently taken in January.
Netanyahu Vows Heavy Retaliation Against Houthi Attacks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the airstrikes targeting Houthi leaders, including Ahmed al-Rahawi, are “only the beginning” of Israel’s campaign against the group, which controls northern Yemen, including Sanaa. The strikes were in response to the Houthis’ repeated missile attacks on Israel and assaults on vessels in the Red Sea, often in support of Iran and the Gaza conflict. The Houthis are part of a broader coalition of anti-Israel militant groups across the Middle East. At a government meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu vowed the rebels and opposition would “pay a very heavy price for their aggression against the State of Israel.”
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