SANAA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said in a press release on Thursday that he participated in a mediation retreat in Muscat this week, hosted by Oman, suggesting the possibility of resuming peace talks between the Yemeni warring parties.
According to the statement, the discussions focused on recent developments in Yemen and the wider region, and stressed the need for closer coordination of regional efforts in support of Yemen's political process.
Grundberg said he talked with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed al-Khulaifi. Grundberg said he also met Yemen's Deputy Foreign Minister Mustafa Noman, along with several other Yemeni officials.
A source in the UN Yemen envoy's office based in Jordan told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that new proposals were put forward during Grundberg's visit, including the reopening and operation of Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port, both under Houthi control.
According to the source, the proposals presented by the Omani mediators also include a commitment from the Houthis to halt missile launches towards Israel and to stop targeting Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea in the future.
The proposals also include that the Houthis would resume political talks with Yemen's internationally recognised government in return for the government forces stopping deployment on the frontlines.
The source said the discussions also addressed the case of Yemeni UN staff members who were recently sentenced to death by a Houthi-run court on charges of collaborating with Israel in airstrikes on Sanaa in August, which killed 12 senior Houthi officials. The UN has denied the allegations.
The proposals also include allowing humanitarian agencies to resume their operations in Sanaa.
The discussions further explored the possibility of providing two passenger aircraft operated by a "neutral company" under UN supervision to support the operation and upgrading of Sanaa airport, as well as plans to repair infrastructure at Hodeidah port, according to the source.
Both Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes earlier this year in response to what Israel said were the Houthis' attacks on it.
The shutdown of Sanaa airport, including the burning of civilian Airbus jets and severe damage to terminals, runways, and facilities, has caused deep frustration among Houthi supporters. Many of them are unable to travel through government-controlled airports for fear of being detained.
The closure and damage to Hodeidah port have also cut off a major source of revenue for the Houthis. This has forced many traders to shift back to government-held ports, prompting Houthi authorities to raise taxes on importers, small retailers, and restaurants, according to commercial sources in Houthi-held capital Sanaa.
In the months leading up to the Gaza war in October 2023, the Yemeni warring parties were observing a fragile, unofficial truce, marked by a significant reduction in hostilities but punctuated by sporadic clashes.
After the Gaza war broke out, the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and on Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea as a show of solidarity with the Palestinians. The Houthis stopped their attacks on Israel after a Gaza ceasefire took effect on Oct. 11. ■
