Sana'a, Yemen - January 25, 2025 Yemen's Houthi rebel group said that its release of war prisoners on Sunday is a goodwill gesture aimed at advancing prisoner exchanges, which is one of the most complex issues in the Yemeni conflict, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) welcomed the move as a potential positive shift in the ongoing crisis. The Houthi rebel group on Saturday unilaterally released 153 war prisoners detained during the civil war with the Yemeni government forces in recent years, the ICRC said. The release, supervised by the ICRC, allowed families torn apart by years of brutal civil war to reunite in emotional scenes. For Moataz Amer, one of the freed prisoners, the reunion was overwhelming. After nearly six years in captivity, he embraced his family, tears streaming down his face. Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head of the Houthis' Committee for Prisoners' Affairs, expressed optimism. Iscander Saeed, spokesperson for the ICRC in Yemen, emphasized the importance of the release. Those released were handed over to their family members who had come to Sanaa from other provinces. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Yemeni internationally recognized government out of the capital Sanaa. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million, and pushed the country to the brink of starvation, according to United Nations (UN) aid agencies. In May 2024, the Houthi group unilaterally released 113 war prisoners. In April 2023, the UN facilitated the exchange of 900 prisoners between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group. Thousands are still being held in prisons on both sides, including political opponents, human rights activists, and journalists. The UN is trying to release all detainees and reach a political settlement between the Yemeni sides to end the war. Shotlist: Sanaa, Yemen - Jan 25, 2025: 1. Various of prisoners or war being released; 2. Various of released prisoners of walking, waiting family members; 3. Various of released prisoners of war hugging families, walking; 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Moataz Amer, released person (starting with shot 3): "My feeling today is absolutely incredible because of this initiative. I was released after six years of captivity. It's an overwhelming feeling that I can't even put into words. I met my family after six years, and I didn't even recognize my brothers anymore."; 5. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) members supervising prisoner release; 6. Various of war prisoners attending press conference; 7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abdul Qader al-Murtada, head, Houthis' Committee for Prisoners' Affairs (starting with shot 6): "We hope this initiative will serve as a positive boost for all our efforts, and move the humanitarian issue forward to the stage where we can implement all the agreements that have been reached."; 8. Various of waiting family members, war prisoners; 9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Iscander Saeed, spokesperson, International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Yemen: "The International Committee of the Red Cross is pleased to be part of this operation, as well as previous ones. This is a positive step, at the start of 2025, to revive the Stockholm negotiations."; 10. War prisoners sitting on ground; 11. Various of released prisoners of war hugging families, walking; 12. Various of waiting family members. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]