Tel Aviv [Israel], September 2: Houthi forces raided a UN office in Yemen and attacked an Israeli ship in the Red Sea, while the US reportedly has its own plans for Gaza.
Reuters news agency quoted the Houthi forces in Yemen as saying on September 1 that the force had just launched a missile targeting the Israeli oil tanker Scarlet Ray near the Saudi Arabian city of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. The British maritime security company Ambrey said the missile exploded near the ship, but the entire crew was safe and continued their journey. The incident is one of the new developments in escalating tensions, after Israel on August 28 airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa killed the head of the Houthi government Ahmed al-Rahawi and several other agency leaders.
Houthi forces also raided the offices of UN agencies in Sanaa on August 31 and arrested at least 11 people. AP quoted a UN official and a Houthi leader as saying that the offices of the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) were raided. According to UNICEF spokesman Ammar Ammar, "many staff" of these agencies were arrested and UN agencies are checking the specific number. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that 11 people were arrested, and condemned the Houthi forces for "storming the WFP headquarters, seizing UN property and trying to infiltrate other UN headquarters in Sanaa". Mr. Guterres called for the immediate and unconditional release of the staff arrested on August 31, as well as those previously detained.
UN special envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said the arrests took place in Sanaa and Hodeida. The Houthis have not commented on the raids.
Also in the Middle East, The Washington Post on September 1 cited a 38-page plan circulating in the administration of US President Donald Trump, stating that the US would run the Gaza Strip for at least a decade, relocate its residents and build it into a tourist and manufacturing hub. Specifically, the population of 2 million people in Gaza would at least temporarily leave, either "voluntarily" to another country, or move into restricted areas in the territory during the reconstruction period. Landowners would be given a digital asset in exchange for the right to redevelop their property.In addition, each Palestinian who leaves will be given $5,000 in cash and a stipend to cover rent for four years. They will also be provided with food for one year. The plan, called the Gaza Reconstruction, Economic Enhancement and Transformation Trust (GREAT Trust), was created by the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF-USA).
The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In February, President Trump first publicly said the United States should "take over" Gaza and rebuild it after resettling Gazans elsewhere.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
