Seven Yemeni employees of the United Nations were arrested in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, accused of spying for Israel, according to reports by the French news agency AFP.
The arrests took place between Thursday night and Friday afternoon, with Houthi sources confirming the detentions but declining to specify numbers. Yemen’s internationally recognised government condemned the move as a “new escalation” by the Iran-backed rebel group.
The incident comes days after 20 UN staff members — including 15 foreigners — were temporarily detained and later released by the Houthis, who have long accused humanitarian organisations of espionage.
Houthi leader Abdelmalek al-Houthi earlier this month blamed UN workers for allegedly providing intelligence that led to an Israeli airstrike killing the group’s prime minister and several ministers. The UN has strongly denied any involvement.
The latest detentions highlight growing instability in northern Yemen and renewed hostility toward international agencies amid heightened tensions following the Gaza war.
