Houthi gunmen have arrested six employees from the World Food Programme (WFP) in Yemen, with four taken from the organization's headquarters in Sana'a and two from the Hodeidah office. The arrests, which also include staff from UNICEF, are part of an escalating campaign of violations against humanitarian organizations, involving incursions, sieges, and kidnappings. This action follows previous forecasts of a major internal security crackdown by the Houthis targeting various groups, including staff of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Initial reports indicate that Houthi gunmen stormed the WFP headquarters in Sana'a, and the organization UNICEF's headquarters in Sana'a was also surrounded, with some UNICEF employees reportedly held for investigation in the basement of their office. The Houthi kidnapping campaign for relief employees has also expanded to the Hodeidah Governorate. These actions are seen by some as intimidation or a shakedown aimed at extracting more "technical support." In a separate development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the IDF "landed a fatal hit on the Humashian terrorist government in Sana'a," claiming "most senior officials were eliminated." He also commented on the return of the bodies of two Israelis kidnapped to Gaza, stating it is part of a commitment to restore all abductions. Meanwhile, Iran published a video claiming to identify three Israeli UAV operators involved in a recent conflict. Separately, in Tehran, a fire involving gas capsules occurred in the Norouz Khan passage of the market. According to Jalal Maleki, a spokesman for the Tehran Municipality Fire Department, the incident was reported at 4:50 PM, with two fire stations dispatched to the scene. Approximately one to two 2kg capsules were reportedly kept under the sun on a roof, catching fire and spreading to lower floors. Fortunately, no explosion occurred, and there were no casualties. In Yemen, a devastating impact on education has been reported, with UNICEF stating that 3,400 schools have been damaged or destroyed by landmines and conflict. This has resulted in 4.5 million children, or 39% of school-aged Yemenis, being out of school. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 2 million children were already out of school.
