US, Gulf states discuss plan to end Yemen conflict

Adding to embarrassment about the U.S. role in supporting the Saudi war against Yemen, Saudi Arabian warplanes attacked the northern city of Saada today, destroying a pair of houses in the Shi’ite-dominated city, killing at least 11 civilians.

The secretary of state said the new “fair and sensible” plan calls for a unity government and a transfer of heavy weapons from the Houthi rebel group to a third party.

Yemeni Houthi rebels have declared their readiness to resume peace talks with the government if all the hostilities in the country are terminated, local media reported on Sunday.

“This war needs to end and it needs to end as quickly as possible”, Kerry said after a meeting in Saudi Arabia with Gulf counterparts, a British minister and the United Nations peace envoy to Yemen.

The Houthis and forces allied to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee the country.

The U.S. military has coordinated with the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen, helping ensure Saudi access to precision-guided munitions.

Saudi fighter planes also pounded a school in the country’s province of Sa’ada, as well as targets in the Razih and Badim districts in the mountainous northwestern province.

Kerry said Washington was “deeply troubled” by rebel attacks on Saudi territory, where more than 100 soldiers and civilians have been killed in cross-border bombardments and skirmishes. The talks covered bilateral cooperation in various fields between the Kingdom and the United States and the latest developments in the region. Human Rights Watch and the New York Times editorial board have both come out against the sale. That was echoed by Teresa Sancristoval of Doctors Without Borders, who says four of her organization’s medical clinics and one ambulance have been hit in Yemen in the past year and a half.

Ten people have been killed in Najran since August 16, when a single strike claimed seven lives. “It has to stop”, Kerry told reporters in a press conference in Jiddah.

Iran on Friday denied United States accusations it has delivered missiles to Yemeni rebels, retorting it was U.S. support for a Saudi-led coalition backing the government that had prolonged the conflict. However, Kerry stopped short of asking the rebels to meet those requirements before the formation of the new government, a key demand of the exiled politicians. “The multilateral meeting on Yemen is created to share ideas and initiatives for getting the political discussions back on track and trying to get a political solution”, the official said.

Kerry spoke of the “staggering” humanitarian impact of the war and announced an additional $189 million in aid in response to the crisis.

US Secretary of State John Kerry (fifth left), GCC foreign ministers and other officials pose for a photo during their meeting on Yemen, in Jeddah yesterday.

The US backed the Saudi war, and has been conducting refueling operations for the Saudi warplanes bombing Yemen, which have killed thousands of civilians over the previous year and a half, and which are fueling increasing global condemnation.

Zeid’s office says an estimated 3,799 civilians have been killed since the air campaign by the US -backed coalition began.