European Parliament calls for the inclusion of the Houthis on the list of terrorist organizations

According to a statement by the Parliament, the resolution included a request to include the Houthi group, with its military and political wings, its leadership, and its military and security apparatuses, as well as the entities that facilitate and fund its activities, on the EU list of terrorist organizations.

The European position comes in conjunction with a military escalation inside Yemen since last July, as several fronts are witnessing confrontations between government forces and the Houthis, which have resulted in deaths and injuries in a number of governorates.

On October 11, the internationally recognized Yemeni government announced its approval of a draft law that classifies the Houthi group as a "terrorist organization" and criminalizes its activities and funding.

Members of the European Parliament strongly condemned the "unprecedented" missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia, in addition to their military offensive in Yemen.

The resolution considered that these attacks constitute "flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law."

It pointed to the killing and displacement of large numbers of Yemeni civilians and the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country.

The resolution expressed its solidarity with the Saudi government and its support for the Yemeni government, reaffirming its commitment to the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of both countries.

It demanded that the Houthis immediately cease all hostilities inside and outside Yemen and abandon any "regional ambitions."

The European Parliament also condemned the coordination between the Houthis, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-backed armed groups.

It emphasized that achieving lasting stability in the Middle East requires the "disarmament and demobilization of all non-state militias and armed groups."

Members of Parliament also condemned what they described as the naval blockade imposed by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, and their attacks on energy infrastructure and commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The resolution warned of the repercussions of the disruption of maritime navigation through the Bab al-Mandab and Hormuz straits on the European Union, particularly the resulting rise in energy prices and the impacts on households, businesses, and European competitiveness.

It also called for strengthening security and defense cooperation between the European Union and Gulf countries, and expressed its concern regarding the humanitarian situation in Yemen, calling for increased European aid to the country while tightening oversight of its expenditure.

Recently, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have escalated using ballistic missiles and drones, targeting sites and facilities inside the Kingdom, including airports and energy facilities, while the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced the interception and destruction of a number of these projectiles.

Since September 2014, the Houthis have controlled the capital, Sanaa, and several governorates in northern and western Yemen, while the internationally recognized government has made Aden its temporary capital.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition to support the Yemeni government against the Houthis, in a war that has caused a large-scale humanitarian crisis and resulted in large numbers of deaths, injuries, and displaced persons.

In recent years, the Houthis have expanded the scope of their attacks outside Yemen, as they announced targeting sites in Saudi Arabia, as well as ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which led to the disruption of international shipping and an increase in shipping and insurance costs.