Canada to pull children of diplomats out of Israel, Canadian Press reports

MUSCAT: UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg met Houthi militant officials in Oman on Thursday to discuss “the necessity to stabilize the situation” in the Arabian Peninsula country.
The Houthis form part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States, and since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, they have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
They have also targeted ships they accuse of having ties to Israel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, sparking a US-led bombing campaign aimed at securing the key shipping lanes.
In a statement posted on X, Grundberg’s office said he “met today in #Muscat with senior Omani officials, members of Ansar Allah (Houthi) leadership and representatives of the diplomatic community.”
The talks “centered on the necessity to stabilize the situation in #Yemen to allow all Yemenis to live in dignity and prosperity and to address the legitimate concerns of all stakeholders including the region and the international community,” it added.
Grundberg “reiterated his commitment to continue to work toward that goal, as part of his efforts toward sustainable peace in Yemen.”
Since March 15, Israel’s key ally the United States has stepped up its attacks on the Houthis, targeting their positions in Yemen with near-daily air strikes.
The UN envoy’s meetings in Muscat come two days before a third round of indirect talks, mediated by Oman, between top officials from Iran and the United States on the Islamic republic’s nuclear program.
Grundberg’s office said he also raised UN demands for “the immediate and unconditional release of detained UN, NGO, civil society and diplomatic personnel” in Yemen.
In June last year, the Houthis detained 13 UN personnel, including six employees of the Human Rights Office, and more than 50 NGO staff, plus an embassy staff member.
They claimed they had arrested “an American-Israeli spy network” operating under the cover of humanitarian organizations — allegations emphatically rejected by the UN Human Rights Office.

LONDON: Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, chaired an Arab ministerial meeting to discuss Israeli policies in the occupied East Jerusalem.

Safadi led the ninth meeting of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Wednesday evening in Cairo, which took place on the sidelines of the 163rd regular session of the Council of the Arab League.

Representatives from Bahrain, Palestine, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, along with the secretary-general of the Arab League, issued a statement regarding Israeli actions in Jerusalem.

Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian briefed the committee about Israel’s home demolition policy in Jerusalem, attempts to erase Palestinian cultural heritage, and the arbitrary arrests of individuals, including children.

The committee emphasized the need for united Arab and international efforts to end the illegal Israeli occupation and address the human rights offences in Jerusalem, Petra, the Jordan News Agency, reported.

In 2024, Israeli authorities demolished 181 homes belonging to Palestinians in Jerusalem on the pretext of not having a building permit, which Israel rarely grants to residents of the city, according to rights groups.

The committee condemned the actions of Israel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem, where Palestinian families face the threat of eviction. It also condemned the regular storming of the Al-Aqsa compound by Israeli settlers and far-right ministers, asserting that these actions threaten the site’s sanctity and integrity.

It said Israeli policies represent “clear violations of international law, escalating tensions and undermining the historical and legal identity of occupied Jerusalem,” Petra reported.

The ministers emphasized the significance of the Hashemite custodianship in preserving Jerusalem’s religious identity and called for the establishment of a Palestinian state to pave the way for peace in the region.