Under UN auspices, the exchange of 14 prisoners between the government and the Houthi group in Yemen

The Yemeni government and the "Houthi" group conducted a prisoner exchange, during which 14 prisoners were released, 7 from each side, outside the UN-sponsored exchange agreement, according to a Yemeni military source, while the Houthis did not issue an immediate statement regarding the process.

On Monday, the Yemeni government and the "Houthi" group conducted a prisoner exchange, during which 14 prisoners were released, seven from each side, according to a Yemeni military source.

In a statement to Anadolu Agency, Colonel Yahya Al-Haser, head of the Prisoners and Detainees Committee in the Sixth Military Region (in the north of the country), said: "7 prisoners of the Yemeni army were freed, compared to 7 from the Houthi group."

Al-Haser explained, "The prisoner exchange took place in the Al-Jadafer region (north of Marib)."

As of 15:00 GMT, the Yemeni Houthi group has not issued a statement regarding this exchange.

The two sides have previously implemented several prisoner exchange deals, with local and international efforts. During UN-sponsored consultations in Sweden in 2018, the two sides presented lists containing the names of more than 15,000 prisoners, detainees and abductees.

There is no accurate census of the number of prisoners of both sides, especially since others were captured after this date.

And on Sunday, the Yemeni government announced the complete completion of the prisoner exchange process with the Houthi group, with the exchange of about 900 prisoners between the two sides.

By the end of the three stages agreed upon with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Office of the United Nations Envoy to Yemen, the number of prisoners released from both sides will be 890.

On March 20, the Yemeni government agreed with Al-Houthi to release 887 prisoners and abductees from both sides, with the conclusion of consultations held in Switzerland in this regard.

Yemen is suffering from a war that began after the Houthis took control of the capital, Sana'a, and several provinces at the end of 2014, and the conflict intensified since March 2015, after the intervention of an Arab military coalition led by Saudi Arabia to support the legitimate government forces in the face of the Iranian-backed Houthi group.

Despite the Israeli restrictions, 280,000 people celebrate Laylat al-Qadr in Al-Aqsa Mosque

The Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem stated that about 280,000 worshipers flocked to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque to commemorate Laylat al-Qadr, amid strict measures imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities.

About 280,000 worshipers celebrated Laylat al-Qadr (the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan), in the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

And the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem reported that about 280,000 worshipers flocked to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque to commemorate the Night of Power, amid strict measures imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities on the holy city. They also performed the evening and Tarawih prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

watched More than 200,000 worshipers celebrate the 27th night of Ramadan (Laylat al-Qadr) at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the city of #occupied Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/jUg9gMUvEK

- TRT Arabic (@TRTArabi) April 17, 2023

The Palestinian news agency " Wafa " stated that the courtyards and chapels of Al-Aqsa Mosque were crowded with worshipers who came from the West Bank and the city of Jerusalem, and from the lands of 1948, despite the restrictions and barriers of the occupation.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli occupation forces have tightened their procedures around the city of Jerusalem and set up barriers, as well as their procedures in the Old City, in an attempt to impede the arrival of worshipers to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Mahmoud Abbas in Saudi Arabia, coinciding with the arrival of a delegation from Hamas

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Saudi Arabia on an official visit of an indefinite duration, in conjunction with the presence of a high-ranking delegation from "Hamas" led by the head of the political bureau of the movement, Ismail Haniyeh, in Saudi Arabia, on a visit that is the first of its kind in years.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived, Monday, in the Saudi city of Jeddah, on an official visit of an indefinite duration, according to the official Palestinian News Agency, Wafa.

The agency indicated that Abbas is meeting with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to discuss and consult on the latest developments in the Palestinian issue and the situation in the region and to strengthen the Palestinian-Saudi brotherly relations.

Abbas was received at Jeddah airport by the deputy governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah region, Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, a number of officials, and the staff of the Palestinian embassy.

The president is accompanied on the visit by the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Hussein Al-Sheikh, the head of the intelligence service, Maj.

And on Sunday, the Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia said that the visit comes as a continuation of previous visits, "and there is continuous communication with the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its distinguished and well-established positions towards Palestine, and to discuss the latest political developments," without specifying the duration of the visit.

Al-Agha told Voice of Palestine radio (government) that Abbas "will talk at length with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince about Zionist crime in Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the suffering of the Palestinian people in terms of killing, displacement, and demolition of homes."

According to the Palestinian ambassador, Abbas will hold other meetings (which he did not specify) as time permits.

The announcement of Abbas's visit to Riyadh coincides with what a well-informed Palestinian source revealed, Sunday, to Anadolu Agency, that a high-ranking Hamas delegation led by Ismail Haniyeh, head of the movement's political bureau, will start a visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday, the first of its kind in years.

On the night of Friday-Saturday, Jeddah hosted a "consultative meeting" in which the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Sultanate of Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, and the diplomatic advisor to the President of the Emirates, Anwar Gargash, participated, condemning "Israel's illegal practices that undermine the two-state solution and attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque.