New York, 30 December 2024

Madam President [US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield],

Distinguished members of the Security Council,

The Middle East is witnessing yet another dangerous escalation.

The hostilities unfolding between Israel and the Houthis have taken an escalatory turn over the past weeks.

The most recent round of military escalation follows a year of increasing Houthi attacks targeting Israel as well as vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that threaten civilians, regional stability, and freedom of maritime navigation.

Madam President,

Since 13 December, the Houthis have claimed at least 11 attacks targeting Israel, using ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles.

On 19 December, Israel conducted airstrikes that targeted energy and port infrastructure in the Houthi-controlled ports of Hudaydah, Salif, and Ra’s Isa as well as Sana’a. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed it was hitting military targets. Nine civilians were reportedly killed, and considerable damage occurred to the Red Sea ports that has reduced their capacity. Israel also struck two power stations in Sanhan and Al Wahdah districts of Sana’a, causing temporary power disruptions in Sana’a and Hudaydah.

While many missiles and other projectiles fired by the Houthis from Yemen have been intercepted, on 20 December, a Houthi-fired missile warhead damaged an elementary school in Ramat Gan in central Israel. On 21 December, another missile landed in a residential neighborhood in Jaffa, causing damage to nearby homes. Sixteen civilian injuries were reported in the latter incident, including a 3-year-old child.

On 26 December, IDF airstrikes targeted Sana’a International Airport, the Red Sea ports on Yemen’s western coast in addition to power stations in Sana’a and Hudaydah, which the IDF said were being used for military purposes. The risks of disruption to vital humanitarian operations at a time when millions of people in Yemen are in need of life-saving assistance are of grave concern.

The IDF’s 26 December strikes on Yemen have reportedly resulted in at least six killed and dozens injured. A United Nations Humanitarian Air Service crew member was also injured when the airport was hit. A high-level UN delegation, headed by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was also at the airport in Sana’a when it was struck. The delegation had just concluded discussions on the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the release of UN and other personnel detained by the Houthis.

The United Nations continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.

Madam President,

I reiterate the Secretary-General’s grave concern about intensified escalation. I also echo his calls that international law, including humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected by all parties. We appeal to all to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Humanitarian workers must be protected at all times.

We condemn attacks claimed by the Houthis, including on the Santa Ursula in the Arabian Sea on 27 December. The US forces targeted Houthi military facilities and weapons systems in Yemen on 16 and 21 December reportedly in response to Houthi maritime attacks. There have also been unconfirmed reports of airstrikes on 27, 28, and 29 December in different parts of Yemen.

We reiterate that attacks originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen must stop. Security Council Resolution 2722 (2024) must be fully respected in its entirety, which demands that all attacks in the Red Sea must cease. No cause or grievance can justify the continuation of these attacks.

Attacks in Israel and Yemen, as well as in the Red Sea, are of grave concern. Further military escalation could jeopardize regional stability, with adverse political, security, economic, and humanitarian repercussions. Millions in Yemen, Israel, and throughout the region would continue to bear the brunt of escalation with no end.

We must do our utmost to reverse this negative trajectory and support comprehensive efforts to end conflicts in the Middle East. We must preserve a path toward sustainable peace and stability that benefits all the peoples of the region.

Thank you, Madam President.