Yemenis in Sanaa, the national capital, said they welcome the largest prisoner exchange deal between the government and the Houthi group involving around 1,750 detainees from both sides following months of UN-sponsored negotiations held in Jordan.
Signing of the deal was announced by Yemen's internationally recognized government on Thursday.
The agreement, reached during talks in the Jordanian capital of Amman, includes the release of detainees linked to the Yemeni government, the Houthis, allied military formations, and members of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, according to statements issued by the two sides.
"We are happy about the prisoner agreement, as it is a positive initiative. We hope an agreement can be reached to release all prisoners. This is the surprise we have been waiting for," said Haitham Al-Ghabari, a Sanaa resident.
"We hope there will be an agreement to release all prisoners, that the war will end, and that we can live as brothers and stand united," said Ali Al-Wadaei, another resident.
Observers said efforts to advance the prisoner exchange deal reflect broader international attempts to preserve the fragile calm and prevent the region from slipping into wider escalation.
"The United Nations and the international community are strongly pushing to help resolve the Yemen crisis and its outstanding issues, in order to protect international security in general, because Yemen is located along a highly important international waterway represented by the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea," he said.
The government delegation said the agreement forms the first phase of a broader "all-for-all" prisoner exchange arrangement reached during negotiations in Oman's capital Muscat in December 2025.
Efforts would continue to secure the release of all remaining detainees as part of ongoing initiatives to resolve one of the conflict's most sensitive humanitarian issues, according to the government delegation.
Yemen has been gripped by conflict since late 2014 when Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
A UN-mediated truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, brokered in April 2022, lasted six months before expiring. However, both sides have largely maintained a "de facto ceasefire" since then.
The last major UN-mediated detainees swap between the two sides took place in 2023, with around 900 detainees released.
Yemenis welcome deal on largest prisoner exchange
China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong on Friday called for advancing an inclusive political transition in Syria.
The international community widely expects Syria to eliminate armed conflicts, restore order, establish inclusive governance and ensure equal rights through a political transition, said Fu at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria at the UN headquarters in New York City.
China calls on all parties in Syria to focus on the greater interests of the people, show mutual tolerance, and resolve tensions and differences through extensive dialog and consultation, he told the Security Council.
The key to keeping Syria stable is rooting out the scourge of terrorism, said Fu.
While the overall level of violence in the country has come down, the security situation remains fragile. Terrorist groups entrenched in Syria frequently cause trouble, seriously threatening peace and security both in Syria and the region, he said.
"We call on the Syrian transitional government to fulfill its international obligations, translate its political commitments into concrete policies and actions, and take all effective measures to combat with a firm hand all international terrorist groups listed by the Security Council, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement," said Fu.
The restoration of peace and development in Syria cannot be achieved without a stable external environment. The international community should uphold the UN Charter and the basic norms of international relations and support the maintenance of Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity. The Golan Heights is internationally recognized as an occupied territory of Syria. Israel should cease all military operations on Syrian soil and withdraw without delay from Syrian territory, he said.
Currently, tensions persist in the Middle East and are spilling over in a way that seriously imperils regional peace and stability. Given the current context, it is incumbent on the international community to help Syria preserve the largely stable situation in the country and prevent the spillover of the regional conflict that may trigger even greater upheaval in Syria, said Fu.
Fu said that Syria has a weak economic foundation, a massive backlog of humanitarian needs, and formidable challenges to sustainable development. The international community should increase humanitarian and development assistance to Syria, so that every Syrian can live a life of dignity.
China remains committed to working with the international community in a constructive role to help Syria achieve security and development, and to help restore peace and stability to the region as early as possible, he said.
Chinese envoy urges advancing political transition in Syria
