Yemen, clashes between Houthis over how to use money raised for Palestinians
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Alaina
- . May 25, 2021
- . Update: May 25, 2021 6:47 pm
After raising a fair amount of money under the pretext of helping Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in the past few hours, local media have reported clashes and differences between the ranks of Yemen’s Houthi rebels over their use. International organizations have reported that the Houthi rebels have raised funds to support the population in the West Bank and Gaza for several thousand dollars. The funds would be raised in the Governorate of Sana’a.
Comments from a Houthi supervisor revealed disagreements and looting of money the militia collected in areas under its control from residents and merchants under the pretext of supporting armed factions in the Palestinian Strip. In a series of tweets on his account, Sultan Jahaf explained that the dispute over the sums raised to support Palestine is provocative.
He reports disagreements among the ranks of the militias over the fate of this money, to the point that the Iranian Ambassador to Sana’a, Hassan Erlo, asked to take possession of it. It is important to underline that the Houthi militias, and the Islamist group Hamas which fired hundreds of missiles against the State of Israel, are all terrorist groups supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, it is not clear in what capacity Ambassador Hassan Erlo wants to seize the money raised for bogus humanitarian purposes.
The Houthi militia was quick to launch a financial collection campaign, claiming to support Jerusalem and Gaza, which has sparked a great wave of anger among Yemenis and political circles, human rights associations, and the government, as they use the name of Palestine as an excuse to profit from the poor and the victims of war. Interestingly, the ceasefire between Palestinian factions, represented by Hamas, and Tel Aviv went into effect at dawn on Friday 21 May, 11 days after Israel’s violent bombing of Gaza, which resulted in the killing of over 240 Palestinians, while 13 people were killed in Israel by Hamas missiles that were not intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.
The day after the ceasefire, Hamas declared victory, while the head of its political office, Ismail Haniyeh, thanked Iran and its leader, while at the same time asking Arab countries to contribute to the reconstruction of the Strip.
This morning, Yemeni army forces announced the shooting down of two drones launched by the Houthi militia on the city of Marib. One of them targeted a popular market in the governorate, in the northeast of the country, causing civilian casualties. The press office of the Yemeni armed forces reported that the first Houthi plane was launched towards the Kassara front and the second aimed at a popular market in the Raghwan district, causing civilian casualties. A local source said three civilians were seriously injured following the Houthis attack.
