
Yemen's Houthis threaten to target ships linked to firms dealing with Israeli ports
In a televised statement, the Houthis' military spokesperson warned that ships would be attacked if companies ignored their warnings, regardless of their destination.
'The Yemeni Armed Forces call on all countries, if they want to avoid this escalation, to pressure the enemy to halt its aggression and lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip,' he added.
Since Israel's war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking ships they deem as bound or linked to Israel in what they say are acts of solidarity with Palestinians.
In May, the US announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arab News
16 minutes ago
- Arab News
Saudi fiscal results show stability, economic growth
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Finance has released the fiscal results for Q2 and the first half of 2025. Total revenues stood at SR302 billion ($80.5 billion) in Q2, marking a 15 percent decline from SR354 billion in the same period of 2024. The drop is mainly due to reduced oil revenues from lower prices and a one-time collection of performance-related profits last year. Non-oil revenues reached SR150 billion, a 7 percent increase from SR141 billion in Q2 2024. Total expenditure was SR336 billion, down 9 percent from SR369 billion last year. As a result, the budget deficit widened to SR35 billion, compared to SR15 billion in Q2 2024. However, the Q2 2025 deficit shrank by SR24 billion from Q1 2025, largely due to higher non-oil revenues. In the first half of 2025, total revenues reached about SR565 billion, down 13 percent from SR647 billion in the same period last year. This decline was mainly due to lower oil prices and a non-recurring collection of performance-related profits in H1 2024. Non-oil revenues during the first half of 2025 totaled about SR264 billion, a 5 percent increase from SR252 billion during the same period last year. Total expenditures in the first half of 2025 amounted to about SR658 billion, a 2 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. Real gross domestic product grew by 3.4 percent in Q1 2025 compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9 percent increase in non-oil activities and a 3.2 percent rise in government activities. In conclusion, despite oil revenues declining by 29 percent in Q2 and 24 percent in the first half of 2025 — resulting in a fiscal deficit in both periods — the Saudi government remains committed to the economic and fiscal transformation outlined in Vision 2030. The growth in non-oil revenues during Q2 and the first half of 2025 reflects the success of the government's reform efforts to diversify the Kingdom's income sources in line with Vision 2030. This increase has helped to offset lower oil revenues, stabilizing overall revenue performance. The government reaffirms its commitment to fiscal sustainability over the medium and long term. These efforts are vital to strengthening the Kingdom's economic resilience amid evolving global challenges. The fiscal results show the government's adoption of a counter-cyclical fiscal policy aimed at stabilizing the economy rather than amplifying fluctuations. Consumer spending grew about 9.1 percent in the first two months of Q2 (April and May), reaching about SR304.4 billion, reflecting strong consumer confidence in the economy. The e-commerce index grew by about 63.1 percent, reflecting significant advancement in electronic transactions, supported by the government's drive to expand electronic payments and promote digital transformation. Money supply (M3) grew about 9.4 percent year-on-year in May 2025, reaching SR3.091 trillion, reflecting continued expansion across various economic activities. The budget deficit is not a concern given the strong fiscal position, as the government pursues an expansionary fiscal policy, accelerates projects with economic and social returns, and strives to achieve the ambitious goals of Vision 2030. Economic and financial reforms have helped to mitigate the impact of declining oil activity through income diversification, improvements to the business environment, and support for growth across promising sectors. These reforms will further diversify the economic base, sustain growth, advance infrastructure development, and enhance public services to improve citizens' quality of life. • Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. X: @TalatHafiz


Arab News
16 minutes ago
- Arab News
Israel closes majority of military abuse cases without charges, report finds
LONDON: Israel has closed 88 percent of investigations into alleged war crimes and abuses by its forces in Gaza and the West Bank without any charges or findings of wrongdoing, according to a report by conflict monitor Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). The UK-based group reviewed 52 cases reported in English-language media between October 2023 and June 2025, involving the deaths of 1,303 Palestinians and injuries to 1,880 others, The Guardian reported on Saturday. AOAV said only one case had resulted in a prison sentence, with just five others concluding with violations found. The remaining 46 cases, seven of which were closed with no fault found, and 39 still unresolved, amounted to what AOAV described as a 'pattern of impunity.' Iain Overton and Lucas Tsantzouris of AOAV said: 'The statistics suggest Israel was seeking to create a 'pattern of impunity' by failing to conclude or find no fault in the vast majority of cases involving the most severe or public accusations of wrongdoing by their forces.' Among the unresolved cases is the February 2024 killing of at least 112 Palestinians queueing for flour in Gaza City, an airstrike that killed 45 people at a Rafah tent camp in May, and the June 1 killing of 31 civilians heading to a food distribution point in Rafah. While the Israel Defense Forces initially called reports of the latter 'false', it later told The Guardian that the incident was 'still under review.' The IDF said it investigates 'exceptional incidents that occurred during operational activity, in which there is a suspicion of a violation of the law,' using internal fact-finding assessments (FFA) and military police inquiries in line with domestic and international law. According to the IDF: 'Any report … complaint or allegation that suggests misconduct by IDF forces undergoes an initial examination process, irrespective of its source.' Cases may then be passed to the FFA team to determine 'whether there is a reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct'. Critics say the process is opaque and slow. Human rights group Yesh Din told The Guardian that of 664 IDF inquiries linked to previous Gaza operations between 2014 and 2021, only one led to a prosecution. In August 2024, the IDF reported the FFA had reviewed 'hundreds of incidents' related to the current Gaza war, with the military advocate general opening 74 criminal investigations. Of those, 52 involved detainee mistreatment or death, 13 focused on looting, and others related to civilian property destruction or excessive force. The only prison sentence to date came in February 2025, when a reservist received seven months for the aggravated abuse of bound and blindfolded Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman detention centre. One of the highest-profile cases involved the April 2024 airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers. While the IDF called it a 'grave mistake stemming from a serious failure due to a mistaken identification', the charity said the rapid investigation lacked credibility. Despite public commitments, AOAV said the IDF's response has become 'more opaque and slow-moving' as civilian casualties mount. The organization said unresolved cases still include four incidents in the past month alone in which Palestinians were killed at or near food distribution points.


Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Scottish first minister calls Israel's actions in Gaza a ‘genocide'
LONDON: Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has for the first time described Israel's actions in Gaza as a 'genocide,' becoming the second UK national leader to do so after Northern Ireland's Michelle O'Neill, it was reported on Saturday. Speaking at an Edinburgh Fringe event that was repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters, Swinney told reporters: 'It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine, it can't be disputed. I have seen reports of terrible atrocities which have the character of being genocide. I've expressed that and obviously it's not reached all those individuals, but that's my feeling.' Swinney made his remarks following a disrupted appearance at the Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh, where protesters stood up holding letters spelling 'GENOCIDE' and chanted slogans including 'Call it genocide.' Security staff prevented demonstrators from approaching the stage as interruptions became increasingly forceful throughout the event. His comments, reported by The Guardian, come amid mounting pro-Palestinian pressure from within the governing Scottish National Party, including from elected representatives in both Holyrood and Westminster. Stephen Flynn, leader of the SNP's nine MPs in the House of Commons in Westminster, recently urged the UK government to recognize the situation in Gaza as a genocide during a parliamentary exchange. Israel has consistently denied committing genocide, maintaining that its military operations in Gaza are acts of self-defense in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks led by Hamas that left almost 1,200 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians, and more than 250 kidnapped. About 50 of those hostages remain in Gaza, with only 20 believed to be alive. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent military action by Israel against Hamas, with a further 1,350 queuing for aid killed by Israeli troops since May, according to UN data published this week. On Friday, at least 91 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in Gaza ahead of a visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff to Israel. Two leading Israeli human rights organizations, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, have also accused Israel of committing genocide, asserting that western allies have a legal and moral duty to act. Swinney's statement follows similar language used last month by Northern Ireland First Minister O'Neill, who said: 'It is inhumanity, it is genocide, it is wrong.' She also described Israel's actions as 'state terrorism.' The Scottish government has previously faced criticism over public money being used to support apprenticeships at firms involved in weapons manufacturing, though it does not directly fund the production of munitions. Defending that policy, Swinney said Scottish Enterprise, the government's commercial investment body, applies 'the strictest assessments imaginable about the purpose and the use of public expenditure in companies who may be related to defense industries.' Pressed on funding staff who could end up building munitions, he added: 'We are trying to enable companies to diversify their activities, that's the purpose. That's why the due diligence checks are applied and they are applied unreservedly.'