UN envoy warns against deeper Yemen-Israel conflict amid Red Sea escalation
UN envoy Hans Grundberg warns that Yemen risks being pulled further into regional conflicts involving Israel, following renewed Houthi missile and Red Sea ship attacks and Israeli airstrikes on Yemen.
United Nations: UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Wednesday warned against Yemen being drawn deeper into regional crises involving Israel.
The Iran-Israel ceasefire is a welcome development for the region. But against the backdrop of negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen launched multiple missile attacks against Israel in the past few weeks, followed by an escalation in the Red Sea with attacks on two commercial ships earlier this week that led to civilian casualties, said Grundberg in a monthly briefing to the Security Council, Xinhua news agency reported.
In response, Israeli airstrikes have hit Sanaa as well as the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Salif, and a power station, he said.
The Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea earlier this week were the first in over seven months, he noted.
“Freedom of navigation in the Red Sea must be safeguarded, and civilian infrastructure must never become a target of conflict. Above all, Yemen must not be drawn deeper into regional crises that threaten to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country,” said Grundberg. “The stakes for Yemen are simply too high — Yemen’s future depends on our collective resolve to shield it from further suffering and to give its people the hope and dignity they so deeply deserve.”
While by and large the front lines in Yemen continue to hold, the situation remains fragile and unpredictable, said the envoy.
“I recognize that for some — on both sides of the conflict — the appetite for a military escalation remains. A military solution, however, remains a dangerous illusion that risks deepening Yemen’s suffering,” he warned. “While negotiations may not be easy, they offer the best hope for addressing, in a sustainable and long-term manner, the complexity of the conflict.”
Grundberg stressed the urgent need to carry forward the peace process.
The longer the conflict is drawn out, the more complex it becomes. There is a risk that divisions could deepen further and therefore it is important for both sides not to engage in any unilateral activity to the detriment of all Yemenis. Both sides must signal a genuine willingness to explore peaceful avenues and create conditions for lasting stability, he said.
Grundberg called for efforts to support de-escalation along the front lines and work with the parties on the parameters for a nationwide ceasefire. He also called for the establishment of a path for talks between the parties.
He promised to continue to work with the region and the international community on the broader security guarantees that are needed, including on freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Yemenis need to have confidence in any agreement reached, and the region and the international community also need to have confidence that their concerns are met, he said. “This is how we build a durable support structure for a negotiated settlement.”
Grundberg reiterated his call for the unconditional and immediate release by the Houthis of all those arbitrarily detained from the United Nations, national and international NGOs, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions
