A senior UN official appealed on Monday for an end to the hostilities between Israel and Houthi rebels in Yemen which have taken “an escalatory turn” in recent weeks. 

Briefing the Security Council in New York, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, warned the Middle East was witnessing another dangerous escalation.

He said that attacks in Israel and Yemen, as well as in the Red Sea, are of grave concern, and warned that further military escalation could jeopardize regional stability, with adverse political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions.

“We must do our utmost to reverse this negative trajectory and support comprehensive efforts to end conflicts in the Middle East,” he said.

“We must preserve a path toward sustainable peace and stability that benefits all the peoples of the region.”

A senior UN official appealed on Monday for an end to the hostilities between Israel and Houthi rebels in Yemen which have taken “an escalatory turn” in recent weeks. 

Briefing the Security Council in New York, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, warned the Middle East was witnessing another dangerous escalation.

He said that attacks in Israel and Yemen, as well as in the Red Sea, are of grave concern, and warned that further military escalation could jeopardize regional stability, with adverse political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions.

“We must do our utmost to reverse this negative trajectory and support comprehensive efforts to end conflicts in the Middle East,” he said.

“We must preserve a path toward sustainable peace and stability that benefits all the peoples of the region.”

USA: ‘Past time for Houthis to cease reckless behaviour’

Speaking for the United States of America, Dorothy Shea, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, condemned the latest Houthi attacks on Israel and underlined American support for Israel's right to self-defence.

Ms. Shea reiterated the U.S. call for the Security Council to consider additional actions to respond to the growing threats from the Houthis and to hold Iran to account.

“The United States will not hesitate to protect its own personnel, regional partners and international shipping,” warned the diplomat, going on to provide details of the US military operations on 16 and 21 December which targeted Houthi infrastructure, uncrewed aerial vehicles and missiles. 

These actions, she said, were “consistent with international law and were an exercise of the United States inherent right to self-defence”.

Israel must coordinate operations

It is “critical”, said Ms. Shea, that Israel coordinate their military operations, and ensure that they do not threaten the lives of civilians or civilian infrastructure.

She said that the US was thankful that Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, and his team were safe, after the Israeli strike that hit Sana’a airport on Thursday, destroying the air traffic control tower, reportedly killing three people. The UN, continued the US official, is delivering critical aid to the Yemeni people, facing “perilous circumstances.”

“It is past time for the Houthis to cease their reckless and destabilizing behaviour, and this Council should ensure that there are consequences for their actions”.

United Kingdom: ‘No justification’ for Houthi attacks

There is “no justification” for the continued Houthi missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) attacks against Israel and targeting of international shipping in the Red Sea, stated Barbara Woodward, the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the UN.

The Houthi aggression, declared Ms. Woodward, risks regional escalation, and is worsening the already dire humanitarian and economic conditions inside Yemen. The ambassador added that Iran has plauy a role in fuelling this escalation, and bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies.

Referring to the Israeli attack on Sana’a airport, Ms. Woodward declared that Israeli action must be consistent with their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. 

Russia: Threats to civilians ‘unacceptable’

Russia’s Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, condemned the Houthi missile attacks against Israel on 19 and 20 December and emphasized that threats to civilians and civilian infrastructure are “unacceptable”.

However, Mr. Nebenzia described the military response as “clearly not proportional” and also worthy of condemnation, and he called on all parties involved in actions against Yemen to exercise restraint and to avoid escalatory action.

The senior Russian diplomat said that January marks a year of Western “illegitimate military action” against Yemen which is “sowing more and more destruction in this country” and is “yet another military aggression being waged by the collective West against a sovereign state”.