UNICEF Official Freed Amid Middle East Turmoil

Lana Shukri Kataw, a United Nations employee, has been freed by Houthi rebels in Yemen and is returning to Jordan, as confirmed by the Jordanian foreign ministry. This release occurs amid a backdrop of intensified conflict in the region, marked by fatal Israeli strikes in Yemen.

The raids on UN offices, resulting in Kataw and others being detained, were part of a broader Houthi crackdown on international bodies in rebel-held Yemen. Tensions escalated after the killing of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi by Israeli airstrikes.

Wednesday's strikes in Yemen also led to significant cultural losses, damaging the national museum in Sanaa. Local journalists were among the casualties, with families mourning Abdullah al-Bahri and Abbas al-Delmi. Appeals to UNESCO for intervention to preserve cultural heritage point to the continuing devastation of Yemen's conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)