Head of Sanaa's Supreme Political Council Mahdi al-Mashat (L) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber, in Sanaa, Yemen, on April 9, 2023. (Ansar Allah media)

The head of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen Mahdi al-Mashat described the discussions with the Saudi delegation that were conducted on Saturday in Sanaa as "positive".

The meeting took place in the presence of an Omani mediation team and included members of the Supreme Political Council, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs, and the ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

Al-Mashat added, "It was agreed to hold a new round of talks after Eid Al-Fitr, given the nature of the issues that were discussed."

He also warned that "Yemen has the upper and stronger hand" in case the "coalition of aggression - backed by the United States - considers resuming military confrontations and obstructing peace steps."

The attendees appreciated the "unique and effective" Omani role in bringing honorable peace to the Yemeni people and blessed the return of the prisoners to the land of Yemen, calling further for the release of all prisoners.

The meeting stressed the importance of retrieving the rights of all the Yemeni people, calling on the Saudi coalition to bear responsibility for all the repercussions of the aggression and blockade.

"The sacrifices made by the Yemeni people are the guarantee of achieving victory, either through peace and meeting the just demands of the Yemeni people, or through the military field in which Yemen has proven that it is capable of confrontation and victory," the Sanaa top officials concluded.

Positive and constructive

The Saudi delegation which traveled to Sanaa last week and was headed by the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen returned to Riyadh on Thursday night despite not having reached a final agreement. However, the delegation revealed that the Ansar Allah movement has agreed to meet for another round of negotiations in the near future.

Saudi Foreign Ministry commented on Friday on the results of the visit stating that the meetings with Sanaa "included in-depth discussions on a number of issues related to the humanitarian situation, including the release of all prisoners as well as reaching a cease-fire and a comprehensive political solution in Yemen."

The Ministry also revealed that the negotiating team's meetings in Sanaa were transparent, positive, and constructive, noting that the Saudi delegation's visit to Sanaa is an extension of "the Saudi initiative and the positive momentum provided by the UN armistice."

It was also specified that these meetings will be resumed as soon as possible "with the aim of achieving a comprehensive and sustainable political solution accepted by all Yemeni parties."

An official in the Ansar Allah movement, cited by AFP, stated that "there is an initial agreement on a truce that should be announced later on if finalized" and confirmed that "there is an agreement to hold another round of talks to further discuss points of difference."

Moreover, it was reported that the Saudi delegation committed to communicating the "conditions" set by the Ansar Allah movement to Riyadh.

Prisoner exchange

Following the Saudi delegation's departure, a massive prisoner exchange between the two countries began on Friday. The flight will go through a three-day process and will see through the release of roughly 900 prisoners.

The war on Yemen has led to one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises and left more than 200,000 civilian casualties.

Yemen has constantly affirmed that Saudi Arabia is not a mediator in the peace proposal but a major party in the conflict. Both sides only consented to a ceasefire that was mediated by the UN last year.