US approached Yemen about international force in Gaza: Report
The Trump administration has approached Yemen’s internationally recognised government in Aden about potentially contributing to the "international stabilisation force" being assembled for Gaza, AFP reported on Wednesday.
The report cited a source at the presidential council, a Yemeni diplomat, and a senior military official, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The military official said Yemen's "participation in the international force has been discussed with the Americans, but we have not yet received an official request", according to AFP.
The Aden-based government has little power within the country despite being represented at the United Nations and having an ambassador in Washington. It was kicked out of the capital, Sanaa, by Houthi rebels over 12 years ago.
The Houthi administration, Ansar Allah, has since retained control over most of Yemen, and has been a target of air strikes by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel, and the US.
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The group publicly supports Hamas in Gaza, and Hamas has vehemently opposed the notion of an international force that answers to the US.
"Any international force must be directly subordinate to the UN and work in coordination with the official Palestinian institutions, without the participation of the occupation," Hamas said in a statement earlier this week.
News of the Aden government's involvement comes one day after US President Donald Trump feted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.
The kingdom is a key backer of the Aden government, and has waged a war on the Houthis since 2015, creating what became one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Trump on Tuesday made it clear to reporters that Saudi Arabia will be coughing up much of the reconstruction funding for Gaza, and is seeking to assemble a stabilisation force made up of Arab and Muslim nations that can transition the enclave to a post-Hamas status.
While Turkey and Indonesia have readied troops, Hamas's opposition to US oversight could result in fighting between the stabilisation force and Palestinian fighters.
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