Yemen's Houthis release 153 war detainees
The release is one of several overtures in recent days aimed at easing tensions after the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The move will authorize harsher penalties on the Iran-backed group, which has attacked Israel and disrupted global shipping trade in the Red Sea for over a year.
US President Donald Trump has re-designated Yemen's Houthis as a "Foreign Terrorist Organisation" over their attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel linked to the Gaza war.
The humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen remains very difficult, the IMF said Thursday, noting that 17 million people remain in a situation of financial insecurity.
Yemen's Huthi rebels accused Washington on Thursday of designating them a terrorist group for supporting the Palestinian people, their stated motive for months of attacks on Israel and in the Red Sea.
The ongoing regional conflict has deepened Yemen’s already acute humanitarian and economic conditions, leading to further contractions in GDP and rising inflation.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier seized in November 2023 at the start of their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war
CAIRO (Reuters) - Around 153 prisoners were released by Yemen's Houthis on Saturday with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), according to a statement by the ICRC. The identities of the prisoners were not disclosed, but the ICRC said they received regular visits by the organization in Yemeni capital Sanaa.
The rebels said earlier this week they would limit their attacks on ships in the Red Sea corridor and released the 25-member crew of the Galaxy Leader, a ship they seized back in November 2023, as the Gaza ceasefire took hold.
Houthi rebels unilaterally released 153 war detainees on January 25, as per the Red Cross. The prisoners, reportedly from Yemen's internationally recognised government forces, were handed over after medical assessments by Red Cross staff in Sanaa.
The Red Cross said the operation 'has brought much-needed relief and joy to families' waiting for their loved ones to return.