Aden (South24 Center)

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In a fresh escalation, the Iran-backed Houthi group have detained 11 United Nations staff and also targeted a commercial tanker it claimed was linked to Israel. This came as Israeli airstrikes intensified on Houthi-controlled Sana’a that killed senior members of the group.

On Sunday, August 31, the United Nations reported that the Houthis stormed the World Food Programme offices in Sanaa, seized UN property and detained 11 of its employees.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the “arbitrary detentions of UN staff” and also condemned the Houthis’ forced entry into UN premises and seizure of UN property.

He reiterated his demand for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all UN staff, as well as employees of international and local NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions, including those detained by the Houthis since 2021 and 2023.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg in a statement also condemned the “new wave of arbitrary detentions” by the Houthis and the raids on UN premises, noting that the 11 detentions add to the 23 UN employees already held for years, one of whom died in custody earlier this year. “The continuation of this pattern of arbitrary detentions is unacceptable,” he said.

Grundberg warned that such actions “severely obstruct humanitarian efforts and peace initiatives in Yemen,” stressing that UN work is grounded in neutrality, independence, and humanity, and reiterated his call for the unconditional release of all detainees.

 

In another escalatory action by the Houthis, on Monday, September 1, a Houthi military spokesperson said the group had launched a ballistic missile at the ‘Scarlet Ray’ tanker in the northern Red Sea, alleging it was linked to Israel. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed the incident but reported that the missile failed to hit the vessel.

The Liberia-flagged chemical tanker was undamaged.

 

On Monday (September 1), the Houthis held a mass funeral in Sana’a’s Al-Sabeen Square for members of their government killed in last Thursday’s Israeli air strikes. The funeral was attended by thousands of supporters and senior political and military figures, who all vowed retaliation against Israel.

 

The Israeli airstrikes on Sana’a, carried out on August 28, killed 12 members of the Houthis’ unrecognized government, including Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Al-Rahwi and several ministers.

#BREAKING
Houthis announce names of 12 casualties from their government ranks due to Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa#south24 pic.twitter.com/yYyn6UHXJ2

— South24 | English (@South24E) September 1, 2025