Sanaa, Nov 23 : A Houthi-run court in Yemen's capital Sanaa sentenced 18 Yemeni aid workers employed by United Nations humanitarian agencies to death for allegedly spying for Israel.

The ruling says that the "convicts" will be executed by firing squad in a public place in Sanaa. Meanwhile, the same court handed two others, including a woman, 10-year prison terms on the same charges.

In a statement broadcast by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Saturday (local time), the court accused the convicts of providing Israel, the United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia with information on dozens of Houthi leaders' locations, movements, and secrets related to political, military, and security matters, as well as information about missiles, including their launch sites and storage facilities.

The court added that the convicts recruited several citizens, installed surveillance cameras, and received payments in return, actions that led to attacks on multiple military, security, and civilian sites, causing dozens of deaths and extensive infrastructure damage, reports Xinhua news agency.

In August, a series of Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa -- carried out in response to Houthi missile and drone attacks toward Israel -- killed dozens of Houthi officials, including 12 "ministers" and Mohammed Abdulkarim al-Ghamari, chief of staff of the Houthi military forces, dealing a major blow to the movement.

In response, the Houthis stormed several UN aid agency offices, detaining dozens of Yemeni aid workers, including those sentenced Saturday.

Last week, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV aired footage showing those sentenced delivering what the Houthis claimed were "confessions."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the Houthis, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN aid workers, and warned that obstructing humanitarian relief in Yemen puts millions at risk of famine.

Since October 2023, the Houthis have launched a series of missile and drone attacks toward Israel to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel responded with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled sites and cities, resulting in casualties.

/IANS