| New York Times | - |
PARIS - Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that it would halt hostilities in Yemen beginning Tuesday for a five-day trial period that the foreign minister said could be renewed “if it works out.
Saudi Arabia Announces Cease-Fire in Yemen
PARIS — Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that it would halt hostilities in Yemen beginning Tuesday for a five-day trial period that the foreign minister said could be renewed “if it works out.”
The
minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said that the cease-fire would begin at 11
Tuesday night. Mr. Jubeir, who spoke at a news conference in Paris with
Secretary of State John Kerry, said the success of the cease-fire was
contingent on cooperation by the Houthis, the Yemeni rebel group that
has been the target of a Saudi-led bombing campaign since late March.
The
airstrikes have done little to halt the advance of the Houthis, who
control Yemen’s capital and are fighting for dominance in several other
cities, including Aden and Taiz. “It is our hope that the Houthis will
come to their senses,” Mr. Jubeir said. “The cease-fire will be
throughout Yemen, or nowhere in Yemen.”
Houthi
leaders have yet to issue any official reaction to the cease-fire
proposal, which was first mentioned publicly by Mr. Jubeir on Thursday.
Saudi and American officials said the cease-fire is intended to allow
humanitarian relief to flow into Yemen, where large parts of the country
are suffering from acute shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.
The
announcement came amid growing concern for civilians in Yemen’s
northern Saada Province on Friday, as Saudi officials indicated they
were preparing to broaden their bombing offensive there. Saudi Arabia
warned residents to leave the area, and a Saudi state news channel said
the entire province would become a military target beginning Friday
evening, according to the Reuters news agency.
Saudi
officials said their military operations in the area were a response to
cross-border attacks by the Houthis into Saudi Arabia in recent days.
“We cannot allow people to lob missiles into our territory and murder
our people,” Mr. Jubeir said. “It’s just not going to happen.”
Map
Civilian Casualties Amid Airstrikes in Yemen
Annotated maps showing the Houthi rebels’ drive south, U.S. airstrikes and historical divisions.
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