Egypt welcomes releasing prisoners in Yemen‏‏

Egypt has applauded the prisoner exchange that began between the Houthi forces and the Yemeni government under the auspices of the UN and  the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The exchange، according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry on Saturday، is a significant and encouraging move towards extending the cease-fire in Yemen and supporting efforts to find a political solution for long-term peace.

Egypt strongly supports initiatives designed to protect Yemen's unity and territorial integrity as well as its security and stability، the message continued.

The deal represented the largest prisoner exchange in years. It happens in the midst of international negotiations to put an end to the protracted war in Yemen.

It entails the release of more than 800 prisoners from all sides of the conflict، which started in 2014 when the Houthi rebels in Yemen، who were backed by Iran، seized control of Sanaa and toppled the internationally recognised government. After escaping to the south، the administration went into exile in Saudi Arabia.