میدل-ایست-آیUS approached Yemen about international force in Gaza: Report
US approached Yemen about international force in Gaza: Report
The news comes a day after Trump hosted the Saudi crown prince at the White House
Brigadier General Tariq Muhammad Abdullah Saleh, right, member of the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen's internationally-recognised government, observes as coastguard members patrol in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, on 12 December 2023 (Khaled Ziad/AFP)
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The Trump administration has approached Yemen’s internationally recognised government (IRG) in Aden about potentially contributing to the "international stabilisation force" being assembled for Gaza, AFP reported on Wednesday.
The report cited a source at the presidential council, a Yemeni diplomat, and a senior military official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The military official said Yemen's "participation in the international force has been discussed with the Americans, but we have not yet received an official request", according to AFP.
The IRG has little power within the country despite being represented at the United Nations and having an ambassador in Washington. It was kicked out of the capital, Sanaa, by Houthi rebels over 12 years ago.
The Houthis have since retained control over most of Yemen, and have been a target of air strikes by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, and the US.
The group publicly supports Hamas in Gaza, and Hamas has vehemently opposed the notion of an international force that answers to the US.
"Any international force must be directly subordinate to the UN and work in coordination with the official Palestinian institutions, without the participation of the occupation," Hamas said in a statement earlier this week.
News of the IRG's involvement comes one day after US President Donald Trump feted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. The kingdom is a key backer of the IRG, and has waged a war on the Houthis since 2015, creating what became one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Trump on Tuesday made it clear to reporters that Saudi Arabia will be coughing up much of the reconstruction funding for Gaza, and is seeking to assemble a stabilisation force made up of Arab and Muslim nations that can transition the enclave to a post-Hamas status.
While Turkey and Indonesia have readied troops, Hamas's opposition to US oversight could result in fighting between the stabilisation force and Palestinian fighters.
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