Huthi official alleges UN staff in Yemen were spying for Israel

UN staff arrested by Yemen's Huthi rebels earlier this week are suspected of spying for Israel and the United States, a Huthi official told AFP Thursday on condition of anonymity. At least 11 United Nations workers were detained on Sunday after an Israeli air strike killed the Huthis' prime minister and about half of his cabinet last week. "Those who were arrested from among the United Nations employees are accused of spying for the American and Israeli aggression," the official said. "Whoever has the accusations against them confirmed will be referred to trial."

The detainees included workers from the World Food Programme and UNICEF, which provides aid and support for children. Dozens of other people were arrested on Saturday "on suspicion of collaborating with Israel", a Yemeni security source told AFP at the time. The arrests came after Huthi prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, nine ministers and two cabinet officials were killed in the Israeli air strike last Thursday. It marked the highest profile assassination in a series of Israeli reprisal attacks against the Iran-backed Huthis during the Gaza war.

The rebels have been firing missiles and drones at Israel and Red Sea shipping during the war, claiming they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians. Even before Sunday's arrests the Huthis, who have controlled large parts of Yemen for a decade, were holding 23 UN personnel, some since 2021.They claimed arrests made in June 2024 included "an American-Israeli spy network" operating under the cover of humanitarian organisations -- allegations emphatically rejected by the UN.