Millions in Yemen, Israel and throughout the region continue to bear the brunt of military escalations, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as its members stressed the importance of protecting humanitarian workers and civilians.
"The hostilities unfolding between Israel and the Houthis have taken an escalatory turn over the past weeks," said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, detailing an alarming trajectory of military incidents this month.
Since 13 December, the Houthis have claimed at least 11 attacks targeting Israel, while on 19 December, that country conducted airstrikes that targeted infrastructure in Houthi-controlled ports. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it was hitting military targets, he said, adding that nine civilians were reportedly killed.
On 20 December, a Houthi-fired missile warhead damaged an elementary school in central Israel, and on 21 December, another missile landed in a residential neighbourhood in Jaffa, causing 16 civilian injuries. On 26 December, Israeli air strikes targeted Sana'a International Airport, the Red Sea ports on Yemen's western coast and various power stations. Highlighting the risks of disruption to vital humanitarian operations "at a time when millions of people in Yemen are in need of life-saving assistance", he said that Israel's strikes three days ago have reportedly resulted in at least six killed and dozens injured, including a UN Humanitarian Air Service crew member.
A high-level UN delegation, headed by World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at the Sana'a airport when it was hit - they had just concluded discussions on the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the release of UN and other personnel detained by the Houthis, he added. Condemning attacks claimed by the Houthis, he also noted that United States forces targeted their military facilities and weapons systems on 16 and 21 December. Stressing that "humanitarian workers must be protected at all times", he reiterated the importance of Council resolution 2722 (2024). "We must do our utmost to reverse this negative trajectory and support comprehensive efforts to end conflicts in the Middle East," he underscored.
Senior Fellow at Washington Institute for Near East Policy Points to 'Aggressive and Expansionist' Houthis
"The Houthis are aggressive and expansionist," noted Michael Knights, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, adding that they draw military, intelligence and financial support from global partners, including Iran, Hizbullah, Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Al-Qaida, Al-Shabaab "and reportedly also the Russian Federation". The first dimension of the threat they pose, he said, "manifests inside Yemen itself" where they have committed human rights abuses and used drone attacks to prevent the Government from exporting oil and gas. The second dimension is the danger they pose to regional States in the Middle East and Africa. By attacking Israel, he said, "the Houthis deliberately risked bringing retaliation onto Yemen's ports, airports and fuel-storage facilities - endangering humanitarian access to Yemen".
"The final dimension of the Houthi threat is global," he said, adding that their anti-shipping campaign in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean have affected ships and people from 85 countries so far. "The Houthis thus resemble a knife held against one of the world's most important trade arteries," he said. Against that backdrop, he urged the Council to strengthen the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen, which is meant to enforce the arms embargo; sanction shippers and flag States violating relevant Council resolutions; and call on all Member States to support the efforts of Yemen's Government to interdict smuggled arms.
Israel's Speaker Says Houthis Engaging in 'Systematically Calculated Terror'
Israel's delegate said the Houthis have been bombarding his country with ballistic missiles, including at a school and a playground. "What would you do if it were your child, your school or your city?" he asked, stating: "We have had enough." For over a year, this Iranian-backed terrorist organization has unleashed almost 300 unprovoked missile attacks, targeting Israeli civilians who are waking up every night to the sound of sirens. "This is systematically calculated terror," he stressed, adding that, even though Israel has no border with Yemen, the Houthis send their missiles and drones to murder its people.
Under the watch of this Council, "the Houthis have grown from a terrorist group into a terrorist army", he observed, noting their estimated annual budget of $1.2 billion, derived from illegal activities and stolen assets. The UN's failure to enforce the arms embargo enables their "reign of terror", including the strangling of the Suez Canal - the critical route of global trade, he said. "[Tehran's] fingerprints are on every missile," he added, emphasizing that the Houthis are "nothing more than Iran's weapon in the war against peace." His country will not wait for the world to act, he declared, adding: "Don't call for de-escalation when we defend ourselves."
Council Members Condemn Houthi Attacks against Israel and Red Sea Shipping
Council members denounced the Houthis attacks against Israel and Red Sea shipping which are exacerbating tensions in the region.
"It is past time for the Houthis to cease their reckless, destabilizing behavior," said the representative of the United States, Council President for December, speaking in her national capacity. She reaffirmed support for extending Council resolution 2722 (2024)'s reporting request for an additional six months. Her country's precision air strike on a Houthi facility on 16 December, as well as other military actions, were consistent with international law, she said, adding that Israeli military operations in densely populated areas must be coordinated "in a way that does not threaten the lives of civilians or civilian infrastructure". Noting that WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus had traveled to Yemen on behalf of the UN, she expressed gratitude that he and his team are safe after an Israeli strike on Thursday hit the Sana'a airport.
"Iran bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies," the representative of the United Kingdom asserted. She also reiterated support for Israel's right to self-defence, but stated that its actions must be "consistent with its obligations under international humanitarian law - including the protection of civilians". France's delegate said his country will continue its commitments within the framework of the European Union's defensive naval operation ASPIDES, in order to restore maritime security and freedom of navigation. He also expressed concern about the Israeli strike on the airport in Sana'a on 26 December, which injured the co-pilot of a UN aircraft tasked with transporting a high-level United Nations delegation.
The Houthis are agonizing the people in the region and beyond, including Yemenis, by fuelling tension in the already inflamed Middle East, Japan's representative said. He called on them to immediately cease attacks on international shipping and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained, including the Galaxy Leader and its crew. "Expressing solidarity with Palestinians in their quest for peace cannot be pursued through ballistic missiles and drones," added Slovenia's representative.
Claims Houthis Exploiting Uncertainty as Region Stands at Critical Juncture
"It is regrettable that the Houthis continuously exploit regional uncertainty while the Middle East stands at a critical juncture," observed the speaker for the Republic of Korea. Their attacks in the Red Sea and beyond disrupt global supply chains, impede political progress, and, ultimately, endanger Yemeni lives. Also, Israeli air strikes on Yemen's key ports, Sana'a International Airport and power stations raise alarm about damage to essential lifelines, especially Hudaydah, he cautioned, underlining the vital importance of ensuring the full functionality of critical infrastructure.
Along similar lines, Ecuador's delegate said that the Houthi attacks have no justification and increase the risk of a cycle of reprisals. He, too, expressed concern about the attack on the international airport in Sanaa which took place while a UN delegation was present on its premises. "Civilian targets, including airports ports" should never be subject to military assault, said the representative of Sierra Leone, speaking also for Algeria, Mozambique and Guyana.
Respect for Principles of Proportionality and Precaution Crucial
The principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution are "not abstractions" and take on "a particularly concrete and urgent meaning" in Yemen, said Switzerland's delegate, highlighting the country's catastrophic economic, food and health situation. Port, air and energy infrastructures are essential to the survival of millions of civilians. Concurrently, she underscored that, in Israel, the civilian population must not be subjected to indiscriminate attacks, including the destruction of civilian infrastructure such as schools.
Her counterpart from Malta also called on the Houthis to immediately cease all attacks in the region while adding: "It is deeply regrettable that Yemeni civilians will suffer the repercussions of such attacks, given their reliance on humanitarian aid delivered through Hudaydah's port."
Calls to Consider Israel's Actions against Palestinians in Broader Regional Context
The representative of the Russian Federation urged those present to consider the broader context, in which "many hotspots of tension are today provoked by the actions of Israel against Palestinians". While the Houthis' launch of a missile towards Israel on the night of 19-20 December "without a doubt deserves our condemnation", he stressed that so, too, does the reaction of the Israeli military with the involvement of the United States Navy and "the entire self-proclaimed Anglo-Saxon coalition in the Red Sea". The coalition's actions, he said, "are nothing but another military aggression being waged by the collective West against a sovereign State".
China's representative said that the Council - faced with "ceaseless waves of instability in the Middle East" - must learn from experience, strive for consensus, act effectively and "find integrated, comprehensive solutions to the Middle East issue in the new year". He added: "Only when the Palestinian question is completely resolved can there be true peace and stability in the Middle East."
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