GCC condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as Yemen fighting intensifies

What the report says

The Gulf Cooperation Council has condemned repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and said it stands behind the kingdom, according to Al Jazeera’s report from Manama, Bahrain, where Gulf foreign ministers met on Sunday. The bloc — which includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — said an attack on one member affects all six under their joint defence framework, and urged stronger backing for Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself.

The statement came as the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted drones near Riyadh and in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Al Jazeera reported that Gulf ministers accused the Houthis of striking civilian airports and other critical sites, and called for tighter enforcement of the UN arms embargo on the group. They also urged countries to designate the Houthis a terrorist organisation, while welcoming a recent UN Security Council statement that condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats to Red Sea shipping.

The article said the Yemeni government separately asked the Security Council to act against Houthi attacks on homes and state buildings, including an assault on the presidential palace in Aden. The government and Houthi forces are both pressing military offensives on several fronts, with reported fighting in Marib, Taiz and Lahij.

Al Jazeera also highlighted the worsening humanitarian toll. The International Organization for Migration says more than 233,000 people have been displaced in the latest phase of the fighting, including about 121,000 in Taiz province. The report added that supply shortages, rising prices and strain on hospitals are deepening civilian hardship in the city.