Yemen’s Houthi rebels unilaterally released 153 prisoners of war on Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The prisoners were reunited with family members who had come to Sanaa for their release, which was facilitated by the Red Cross.
The event was one of several prisoner releases that have taken place since the civil war in Yemen broke out in 2014 between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
In a statement reported in Houthi media, Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Murtada said that the released prisoners were “humanitarian cases,” including the elderly and those who were sick or injured.
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“The goal of the initiative is to build trust and establish a new phase of serious and honest dealing,” he was cited as saying.
The last significant talks between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government of Yemen took place in Sweden in 2018. The Red Cross said that yesterday’s release marked a step toward reviving negotiations between the warring sides.
“We remain ready to play our role as a neutral intermediary in facilitating the release, transfer, and repatriation of any persons held in relation to the conflict in Yemen,” the Red Cross wrote.
Since the start of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas earlier this month, the Houthis have made several attempts to ease international tensions, including a pledge made last Monday to limit attacks on Red Sea vessels to Israeli ships only.