Yemen Monitor/News Room
The leaders of the G7 group of nations are dedicating the second day of their summit in the Italian city of Poli on Friday to discuss several key issues, including the war in Gaza, the repercussions of tensions on Red Sea navigation, and other important matters such as tensions with China.
Since November, the Houthis have targeted more than 100 commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and recently expanded their operations to the Indian Ocean. They have said they are targeting ships linked to Israel, which is waging a brutal offensive on Gaza Strip. However, the Yemeni government and experts say the Houthis’ motives are domestic, aimed at escaping internal crises and improving their image in the region.
In response, the US and Britain have been carrying out an air strike campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthis since January 11. As a result, Houthis have announced the expansion of their operations to include US and British ships.
The event will bring together the leaders of the seven member states (the US, Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Japan, and Canada), as well as the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, representing the EU, and heads of state and government and international and regional organizations at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The summit focuses on the Ukrainian crisis, the Israeli war in Gaza, the repercussions on navigation in the Red Sea, the situation in Venezuela and Libya, the prospects for cooperation with Africa, artificial intelligence, migration, economic security, relations with India, and the issue of tensions with the Republic of China.
The summit program includes six working sessions on: Africa, climate change and development, the Middle East, Ukraine, migration, and economic security in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
On Thursday, Italy invited several other parties to participate, such as Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. However, the Saudi crown prince apologized for not attending due to internal commitments related to “Hajj season,” according to Saudi media.
