Egypt, Qatar stress need to halt hostilities against Saudi Arabia

Foreign ministers condemn attacks on kingdom, call for diplomatic efforts to contain regional tensions

Egypt and Qatar stressed the need to halt all hostilities against Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with the kingdom, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The position was expressed during a phone call late Wednesday between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the ministry said in a statement.

The call came as part of “continuous communication and coordination between the two brotherly countries on various issues of common interest,” the statement said.

The two officials discussed bilateral relations and areas of cooperation, including exchanges of high-level visits. They praised the progress in ties and affirmed their commitment to further strengthening them, according to the statement.

On regional developments, the officials discussed the latest situation and agreed on the importance of supporting ongoing efforts and coordinating action to ease tensions and prevent the conflict from spreading.

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They stressed the need to halt all hostilities against Saudi Arabia, strongly condemned the attacks and expressed solidarity with the kingdom.

The officials also called for activating political and diplomatic channels to resolve the current crisis and strengthen regional security and stability.

The call came amid an ongoing military escalation between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi group, involving missile and drone attacks on airports and critical infrastructure in the kingdom in recent days.

Since October 5, five Saudi airports have come under attack, leaving 20 people dead and hundreds injured, in addition to material damage and disruptions to air traffic, according to the report.

Meanwhile, the military operation known as Dawn of Yemen has continued. Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said the operation aims to restore state institutions from Houthi control and retake the capital, Sanaa.

Read more: Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Riyadh airport

The developments in Yemen are part of a military escalation that began in July and is the most extensive since a period of relative calm following a UN-brokered truce that began in April 2022.

Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015 against the Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa and several other provinces since 2014.