UN official warns of 'dangerous escalation' in Middle East amid tensions between Israel, Houthis

HAMILTON, Canada

The rising tensions between Israel and the Houthis are leading to a new "dangerous escalation" in the Middle East, a senior UN official warned on Monday.

"The Middle East is witnessing yet another dangerous escalation. The hostilities unfolding between Israel and the Houthis have taken an escalatory turn over the past weeks," Khaled Khiari, UN assistant secretary-general for the Middle East and Asia and the Pacific, told the Security Council.

Noting the continued attacks by both Israel and the Houthis, Khiari recalled that on Dec. 26, Israeli military airstrikes targeted Sana’a International Airport, Red Sea ports on Yemen’s western coast, as well as power plants in Sana’a and Hudaydah.

He said that the Israeli military claimed these locations were being used for military purposes and warned that "the risks of disruption to vital 3 humanitarian operations at a time when millions of people in Yemen are in need of life-saving assistance are of grave concern."

Khiari conveyed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' "grave concern" over the rising tensions, and said: "I also echo his calls that international law, including humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected by all parties."

He further stressed the importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure and ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers under all circumstances.

'Grave concern'

"Attacks in Israel and Yemen, as well as in the Red Sea, are of grave concern. Further military escalation could jeopardize regional stability, with adverse political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions. Millions in Yemen, Israel and throughout the region would continue to bear the brunt of escalation with no end," he said.

Last week, Israel launched airstrikes against Houthi-held positions in the capital Sanaa, and the coastal province of Al-Hudaydah in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile attacks.

The Houthis have targeted Israeli cargo ships or those associated with Tel Aviv in the Red Sea with missiles and drones in a show of support with the Gaza Strip, where over 45,500 people have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war since Oct. 7, 2023.