Houthi Leader Rejects Saudi Arabia's Ceasefire in Yemen

In a Twitter account believed to belong to supporters of Houthi rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, he has rejected the unilateral ceasefire proposed by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which is set to take effect from Sunday. According to the French news agency, the tweet states that the unilateral ceasefire suggested by the coalition is aimed at rearming the forces loyal to Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the exiled president of Yemen, and they will not accept a cessation of hostilities. The Saudi news agency had previously stated that the unilateral ceasefire is intended to deliver 'humanitarian aid' to war-torn areas. The coalition's statement indicated that the ceasefire request was made by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the coalition reserves its right to respond to what it calls 'operations or military movements' by the Houthi rebels. Given this context, it is unclear how long this unilateral ceasefire will last. In recent days, the intensity of clashes and civilian casualty figures have significantly increased due to attacks from both sides. A week ago, nearly a hundred people were killed in Houthi artillery fire near the port city of Aden, which has been recaptured by Hadi's loyal forces. The head of Médecins Sans Frontières described that attack as 'the worst day' for Aden. However, just a few days later, reports indicated that in an airstrike by the coalition on July 24 in urban residential areas along the Red Sea, 120 civilians were killed. The Associated Press quoted security officials stating that this attack was also the 'deadliest' day for civilians killed in coalition airstrikes since the start of these attacks in March. Hours after those reports, the Saudi-led coalition announced its unilateral ceasefire.