RIYADH: The Arab coalition fighting to restore the legitimate government in Yemen said on Sunday that it views a Yemeni prisoner swap as a “positive agreement.”
Yemen’s warring sides agreed earlier on Sunday to exchange 1,081 detainees and prisoners during the first stage of talks in Switzerland.
The Arab coalition said the prisoner exchange agreement was “purely humanitarian,” and in line with the Stockholm Agreement.
It has almost been two years since an agreement between the Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi militia was signed in Sweden, with the aim of ending the brutal conflict that has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Spokesperson Col. Turki Al-Maliki said the Houthi militia will release 400 government prisoners while the Yemeni government will free 681 Houthi fighters, including on-the-ground deals for 20 prisoners.
Col. Al-Maliki said the coalition’s top priority is to recover the prisoners as soon as possible, adding that the agreement included the release of 15 Saudi soldiers and four Sudanese nationals.
He also said the Red Cross is expected to supervise the prisoner exchange process in Yemen.
Col. Al-Maliki called on the Houthi militia to not undermine the efforts of the UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, saying there was a real desire to implement all the points of the Stockholm Agreement.
Arab coalition says Yemeni prisoner swap ‘positive’ step
https://arab.news/2qauq
Arab coalition says Yemeni prisoner swap ‘positive’ step
- Agreement includes release of 15 Saudi soldiers, 4 Sudanese nationals
- Red Cross to supervise prisoner exchange process in Yemen
US says ‘bridge proposal’ on table for Gaza ceasefire but window ‘closing fast’
WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Wednesday there was still “a bridge proposal on the table that would extend the ceasefire” in Gaza but the opportunity for it was “closing fast.”
“Right now, we still have a bridge proposal on the table that would extend the ceasefire and see the release of five live hostages, including American Edan Alexander. It would also see the release of a substantial number of Palestinians held in Israeli jails,” a State Department spokesperson said, blaming Palestinian Hamas militants.
“The opportunity is still there, but it’s closing fast.”
Lebanese army begins securing border with Syria, closes illegal crossings
- Lebanese Army vehicles reached the town’s administrative border as established in official Lebanese state maps
- The development follows communications between the Syrian and Lebanese sides to halt armed clashes that began last Sunday
BEIRUT: The Lebanese army on Wednesday entered the town of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali, on Lebanon’s eastern border with the Syrian Arab Republic.
Its vehicles reached the town’s administrative border as established in official Lebanese state maps.
According to these maps, the town is divided into two: one part in Syrian territory, inhabited by Lebanese citizens; and the other in Lebanese territory.
The development follows communications between the Syrian and Lebanese sides to halt armed clashes that began last Sunday as a result of disputes among smugglers in an area teeming with illegal crossings.
The conflict escalated on Monday after the killing of three Syrian gunmen, and evolved into a broader confrontation between Lebanese tribes and armed members of the new Syrian authorities.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the clashes and killings resulted in “the death of seven Lebanese citizens and the injury of 52 others.”
Additionally, property and buildings suffered heavy damage in the exchange of shelling between Syrian forces and Lebanese tribes.
Forces affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense entered the Syrian part of the Lebanese town on Monday night.
Negotiations between the Lebanese and Syrian sides over deployment zones, based on border maps between the two countries, delayed the Lebanese army’s deployment for several hours, when a Lebanese army convoy of 60 vehicles arrived on the outskirts of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali.
An official source in the area said the Lebanese army’s deployment “was not smooth, as it faced protests related to the confiscation of weapons belonging to local clans. However, the situation soon returned to normal, allowing the army to continue its mission.
The Lebanese army command announced that its units “commenced implementing security measures in the Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali area of Hermel, including the deployment of patrols, to maintain security and ensure stability in the border region.”
It said the army has taken measures “to close illegal crossings between Lebanon and Syria,” adding: “As part of the efforts to monitor and secure the borders in light of the current situation, and to prevent infiltration and smuggling activities, a unit of the army has closed the illegal crossings, which include Al-Matlaba in the Qasr-Hermel area, as well as Al-Fatha, Al-Maarawiya, and Shahit Al-Hujairi in the Mashari’ Al-Qaa-Baalbek region.”
President Joseph Aoun monitored the security developments along the northeastern border through a series of communications with army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haikal.
According to the presidency, Haikal briefed the president on “the measures being implemented by the army to restore calm and stability to the area.”
Aoun underlined “the importance of consolidating the ceasefire, halting aggression, and controlling the borders adjacent to the villages.”
On Monday he said that the situation on the eastern and northeastern borders cannot persist and that “the army will not allow the chaos to continue.” He then ordered the Lebanese army to respond to the sources of fire.
Subsequently, communications between Lebanon and Syria intensified, including talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers to find solutions to the escalation in border incidents.
These efforts led to a ceasefire agreement between the intelligence services of the two countries after a call between Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart, Murhaf Abu Qasra.
Syrian media outlets on Tuesday night reported that “Syrian forces seized a Hezbollah operations room in Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali, which contained large quantities of weapons, ammunition, drugs and equipment used to manufacture counterfeit tobacco.”
After the army’s deployment, displaced families from Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali on Wednesday started preparing to return to their homes.
Hezbollah has firmly denied any involvement in the border clashes with Syria.
UAE mediates exchange of 350 Russian, Ukrainian war captives
- UAE’s mediation efforts between the warring neighbors led to exchange of 3,233 prisoners of war
- This is the 13th successful mediation led by Abu Dhabi since 2024
LONDON: The UAE facilitated the exchange of 350 prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine as part of mediation efforts to resolve the conflict in Eastern Europe.
On Wednesday, Moscow and Kyiv exchanged 175 Ukrainians and 175 Russians, who were captured amid the ongoing war since February 2022. The UAE’s mediation efforts between the warring neighbors led to the exchange of 3,233 prisoners of war.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended Russia and Ukraine for their collaboration with the mediation efforts and their role in the exchange, the Emirates News Agency reported.
This is the 13th successful mediation led by Abu Dhabi since 2024. The ministry added that Abu Dhabi is committed to finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and appreciates both countries’ faith in the UAE as a trusted mediator, the WAM added.
US strikes hit targets in Yemeni capital, Houthi TV reports
- Three residents said the strikes had hit the Al-Jarraf district of Sanaa, close to the city’s airport
- Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023
SANAA: The United States struck targets in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Wednesday, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported, the latest in a wave of strikes carried out in retaliation for attacks by the Iran-aligned group on shipping in the Red Sea.
Three residents told Reuters that the strikes had hit the Al-Jarraf district of Sanaa, close to the city’s airport.
The US began the current wave of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen last Saturday, killing at least 31 people in the biggest such operation since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
Trump also threatened to hold Iran accountable for any future Houthi attacks, warning of severe consequences. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Houthis were independent and took their own strategic and operational decisions.
Unfazed by the US strikes and threats, the Houthis have said they will escalate their attacks, including on Israel, in response to the US campaign.
On Tuesday the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile toward Israel and that they would expand their range of targets in that country in the coming days in retaliation for renewed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza after weeks of relative calm.
The Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians.
The attacks have disrupted global commerce and set the US military off on a costly campaign to intercept missiles.
UN genocide advisers urge immediate action to deescalate violence in Gaza amid deadly airstrikes
- Senior officials warn of ‘irreversible consequences,’ with hundreds believed killed in strikes
- Call comes amid worsening humanitarian crisis after Israel suspends aid entry to the enclave
NEW YORK: Two senior UN advisers have sounded the alarm over renewed violence in Gaza following a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes, warning the escalation could have “irreversible consequences.”
UN Acting Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Virginia Gamba, and Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, Mo Bleeker, called on all parties involved to prioritize the protection of civilians and immediately deescalate tensions to prevent further loss of life.
The airstrikes, which began on March 18, are the first major military action since a ceasefire was brokered two months ago.
Hundreds of people are believed to have died in the strikes, with many more injured.
In a joint statement, Gamba and Bleeker said: “These developments signal a troubling and dramatic escalation of violence with irreversible consequences. It is essential that the mutual imperatives of peace process, integrating aspects of prevention and protection, are prioritized urgently.”
In addition to the violence, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. The two advisers expressed concern over Israel’s decision on March 2 to suspend the entry of aid into Gaza, exacerbating the already dire conditions.
Humanitarian organizations, the UN, and several member states have condemned the move, stressing that any further delays in the delivery of essential aid could lead to starvation and further suffering for Gaza’s civilian population.
Gamba and Bleeker also reiterated the need for a comprehensive political solution to the conflict.
“In line with the prevention of genocide and the responsibility to protect frameworks, we urge all parties to prioritize the protection of civilians and take immediate steps to deescalate tensions, prevent further loss of life, and engage in a solid political solution,” said the advisers.
They also echoed the UN secretary-general’s statement of “profound shock at these developments” and his urgent calls “for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian access to be restored, and for the unconditional release of all remaining hostages.”
