Saudi Arabia Proposes Five-Day Humanitarian Ceasefire in Yemen

Saudi Arabia has proposed a five-day humanitarian ceasefire to the Houthi rebels, contingent on the cessation of hostilities throughout Yemen. Reuters reported on Thursday, May 6, citing Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, that the ceasefire will last five days across Yemen. Mr. Jubeir added that the exact date of the ceasefire and its regulations will be announced soon. However, the Saudi Foreign Minister emphasized that the establishment of such a ceasefire depends on the Houthis' agreement. The civil war among various political-military groups in Yemen and Saudi Arabia's attacks against the Houthis have brought the country to the brink of a humanitarian disaster. Yemen is currently facing shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, welcomed the ceasefire proposal made by Saudi Arabia, stating that neither Riyadh nor Washington have discussed sending ground troops to Yemen. Mr. Kerry also emphasized that the establishment of this ceasefire depends on the Houthis and their fulfillment of commitments. The humanitarian ceasefire proposal and five-day truce in Yemen was made by Saudi Arabia after the Shiite Houthi rebels captured the last central neighborhoods of the city of Aden, which served as the last base for the ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. In recent days, Houthi militants have also targeted the border city of Najran in Saudi Arabia with mortars, resulting in the deaths of several Saudis. In response to these attacks, a spokesman for the Saudi military stated that the country is considering all options, including ground intervention in Yemen, to stop the attacks against its cities. Hours before Saudi Arabia's ceasefire proposal in Yemen, the Iranian Red Crescent announced that it would send a ship carrying 2,500 tons of humanitarian aid to Yemen next week. The head of the Iranian Red Crescent stated that the ship carrying this cargo would be dispatched through the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman to Yemen, and its arrival at the destination would typically take about 10 days. Although the Islamic Republic denies providing weapons to the Houthis, it emphasizes its support for this Shiite group.