THE latest Western air raids on Houthi rebels in Yemen show our politicians have “no humanity,” anti-war campaigners said today.
Joint US and British strikes killed 16 people and injured more than 40, according to the Iranian-backed group’s health ministry.
The Houthis said everyone killed or injured was a civilian after the capital, Sana’a, the port of Hodeidah, and Taiz in the south-west of the region were hit in the strikes.
Stop the War Coalition co-convener Lindsey German said: “Rishi Sunak and the US have again bombed one of the poorest countries in the world to enable Israel to continue committing its genocide in Gaza and massacring children as they shelter in their tents in Rafah.
“And all the while, the Labour leader is silent, in the middle of a general election campaign in which Palestine is on the ballot paper. Our politicians have absolutely no humanity.”
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the fifth combined US and British strike against Houthi rebels since January took place on Thursday.
It claimed intelligence had confirmed two locations near Hudaydah as being involved with anti-shipping attacks in the Red Sea.
The Houthis in recent months have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians.
The militants have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.
The MoD said buildings were identified as housing ground control facilities and storage for very long range Houthi drones, adding that the “utmost care” was taken “minimise any risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure.”
The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) called the latest British actions “a dangerous and irresponsible escalation.”
PPU spokesman Albert Beale said: “In the context of the seemingly never-ending cycle of violence and warfare in that region of the world, the last thing needed is yet more of the same.
“The only viable future course is de-escalation, and a renunciation of the absurd idea that situations such as this will ever be resolved by more and more killing.”
