UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is concerned about the possibility of a wider escalation in the Middle East.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an end to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, urging all parties involved to exercise restraint following Saturday’s large-scale Israeli air raid on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.
The air raid was a response to Yemeni Houthi attacks on civilian vessels linked to Israel and long-range missile and drone strikes on Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The attack on Hodeidah resulted in the deaths of at least three people and injuries to approximately 87 others, according to reports from Houthi-run al-Masirah TV early Sunday, citing the Ministry of Health operating in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
Guterres “is deeply concerned about the reports of airstrikes earlier today in and around the port of Hodeidah in Yemen,” according to a statement from his spokesperson published on the UN website.
“Initial reports indicate a number of fatalities and over 80 people injured in this attack, and that there has been considerable damage to civilian infrastructure. The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to avoid attacks that could harm civilians and damage civilian infrastructure,” the statement says.
Guterres “remains deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region and continues to urge all to exercise utmost restraint,” the note adds.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that Hodeidah’s port was being used by the Houthis to receive weapons shipments from Iran. Israel and its primary adversary exchanged airstrikes earlier this year, raising concerns about a wider escalation in the Middle East.
Furthermore, Netanyahu mentioned the recent drone strike on Tel Aviv, which resulted in one fatality and at least ten injuries. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that their new drone is capable of “bypassing the enemy’s interception systems.”
The Houthis, a Shia Islamist group in control of a significant portion of civil-war-torn Yemen, have been targeting commercial shipping linked to Israel in the Red Sea since October. They have pledged to continue these actions for as long as the Israeli military operation against Gaza persists.