'Deeply concerned' UN chief urges restraint after Israeli attack on Yemen
DUBAI: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the Israeli airstrikes in and around Yemen's Hodeidah port on Saturday.
Guterres called on all parties to “avoid attacks that could harm civilians and damage civilian infrastructure.”
In a statement, the secretary-general said he “remains deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region and continues to call on all to exercise the utmost restraint.”
Israel's strike on Hodeidah, apparently in retaliation for a Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv earlier this week, left several people dead and more than 80 injured.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel said Israeli jets had struck a power plant and a fuel storage facility.
Meanwhile, Yemen's internationally recognized government on Sunday condemned Israel's airstrikes as a violation of international law, blaming Israel for worsening the humanitarian crisis and strengthening the Houthi militia.
In a statement, the government urged the Houthis to prioritize national interests and fight for peace, while calling on the international community to support the Yemeni government and implement resolution 2216.
The government also reiterated its support for the Palestinian people and called for an end to Israeli aggression.