Protesters across Yemen demonstrate against Israel's military actions in region

Large-scale protests erupted in the capital Sanaa and over 400 other locations across Yemen on Friday to denounce Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, as well as its military operations in Syria and Lebanon.

In its first official response to the Israeli airstrikes inside Syria, the political office of Yemen's Ansar Allah, or Houthi group, called the Israeli strikes a clear violation of international law and the sovereignty of an Arab country. They urged Arab and Islamic countries to unite to halt the rising regional tensions.

"We condemn the aggression against Syria, Lebanon, and every Arab and Islamic country. The aggression against Syria comes as part of an attempt to establish a new climate of permissiveness, where the Israeli enemy can violate all Arab lands and the region, without any resistance," said Zaid Al-Gharsi, head of the media department of Houthis' Supreme Political Council in Sanaa.

On Friday afternoon, the capital, Sanaa, and several Yemeni provinces witnessed large-scale public marches. The participants condemned Israel, accusing it of expanding its military operations beyond Palestinian land. The protesters said the strikes on Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen threaten regional security. They called for international action to stop what they described as repeated violations of Arab countries’ sovereignty.

"We came out today to show our support for our brothers in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, and for the Resistance Axis. Anywhere in the world where Israel or the U.S. commit aggression, we will stand with the people," said Ali Al-Makhadhi, a protester.

"We are here to continue supporting Gaza and to take a stand against Israel’s violations of the nations of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen and across the Arab world," said Abdulrahman Abu Talib, another protester.

The participants also showed support for civilians in Gaza. They called for an end to Israeli military operations and the ongoing blockade. They demanded immediate access for humanitarian aid, amid growing warnings about the worsening humanitarian situation in the region.

Protesters across Yemen demonstrate against Israel's military actions in region

President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that his country and China can build a mutually beneficial relationship amidst competitions.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office in June 2025.

In an interview with the China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul, capital of the ROK, on Wednesday, Lee said that the ROK and China both place great importance on the development of high-tech fields, and this inevitably creates competitions between the two countries, but will also presents ample cooperation opportunities for both sides.

"To my knowledge, the Chinese government has made tremendous efforts in high-tech investment, research and development investment, and the talent cultivation in the field of basic research, just as the ROK has done. From this perspective, the ROK and China share similarities in economic growth strategies, which certainly creates competitions between the two countries, but it also presents broad cooperation opportunities for both sides. I believe that if we can explore areas for cooperation amid competitions and enhance our respective strengths through cooperation, we can build a mutually beneficial relationship that not only supports China's sustainable development strategy but also promotes ROK's growth strategy," Lee said.

ROK president eyes mutually beneficial relationship with China amid competitions