Houthis to 'Release' Yemeni Politician Allied with Official Government

The chief negotiator of the Houthis informed Reuters that the group will release Mohammed Qahtan, the leader of the 'Islah' party and a politician allied with the Yemeni government, based on a recent agreement with the official Yemeni government. One of the Yemeni government negotiators, who is supported by Saudi Arabia and wished to remain anonymous, told the news agency on Wednesday, July 4, that the Houthis have not yet announced whether Mohammed Qahtan is alive or dead. Qahtan, whose party 'Islah' is a powerful part of the Yemeni government, was arrested by Iran-backed Houthis in 2015. His family says they are unaware of his whereabouts and have not been allowed to visit him. Abdulqadir al-Murtada, a Houthi negotiator, told Saba, the official Yemeni news agency controlled by the Houthis, that if Mohammed Qahtan is dead, his body will be exchanged for the bodies of 50 Houthis held by the Yemeni government, and if he is alive, he will be exchanged for 50 Houthis in Yemeni government prisons. He did not respond to Reuters' question about whether Mohammed Qahtan is alive or dead. Washington's efforts to contain the Houthis; a U.S. representative is heading to Saudi Arabia and Oman. The Houthis previously did not respond to the Yemeni government's request for clarification on Mr. Qahtan's status, which led to two rounds of negotiations between the two sides over the release and exchange of prisoners failing. Abdulqadir al-Murtada added that on Wednesday, a list containing the names of about 400 prisoners who may be exchanged was exchanged between the Houthis and the Yemeni government. He added that no final agreement has been reached yet, but negotiations regarding the exchange of prisoners will continue in Muscat, the capital of Oman. Discussions about prisoner exchanges are a significant part of peace negotiations to end the decade-long civil war in Yemen, which is being facilitated by the United Nations and the Omani government. The Houthis captured a large part of northern and central areas and Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, in 2014. An Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia entered the war in support of the Yemeni government in the spring of 2015. In the past two years, the intensity of the battles has decreased, and it seems that influenced by the policy of reducing hostilities between Tehran and Riyadh, the conflicting parties are inclined to maintain the current situation, which is perceived as a 'cold war,' and even fully resolve the hostilities. The Houthis, as part of the Iranian-backed forces known as the 'Resistance Axis,' are significant supporters of Hamas in its conflict with Israel. This group has begun drone and missile attacks on international shipping routes in the Red Sea since mid-November and claims it will continue these attacks until a ceasefire is established in the Gaza Strip.