European Parliament urges EU to designate Houthi militia a terrorist group

BRUSSELS — Members of the European Parliament have expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for Yemen's legitimate government, reaffirming their commitment to the security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of both countries. The position was spelled out in a resolution adopted on Thursday that strongly condemned Houthi missile and UAV attacks on Saudi Arabia, as well as the military escalation inside Yemen. The members described the attacks as flagrant violations of international law and international humanitarian law. The resolution highlighted that the attacks have killed and displaced large numbers of Yemeni civilians and exacerbated the country's humanitarian crisis. The resolution called on the Council of the European Union to designate the Houthi group, including its political and military wings, leadership, and military and security apparatus, as a terrorist organization under the EU list of terrorist organizations. It also called for dismantling the group's funding channels and freezing its funds, economic resources, and the assets of entities facilitating its activities. The members of Parliament urged the Houthis to immediately cease all hostilities inside and outside Yemen and abandon any ambitions to seize territory. The resolution also strongly condemned Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The resolution called for strengthening security and defense cooperation between the EU and its Gulf partners.