On December 23, 2025, an agreement was signed between Yemen’s government and the Houthis to exchange prisoners of war. Both parties had agreed to exchange nearly 3,000 detainees, marking the largest swap of the civil war to date.
The deal was reached approximately two weeks after UN-mediated talks in Muscat, Oman. The UN envoy of the negotiations hailed the agreement as a “positive and meaningful step.”
Under the agreement’s conditions, about 1700 prisoners held by the Houthis will be released in exchange for roughly 1200 detainees held by the government forces. The swap also includes 23 Sudanese and seven Saudi nationals under the Houthis custody.
Reportedly, two of the Saudi detainees are military pilots. Government negotiator Majed Fadhail said:
Thousands of war captives would go free under the deal.
Majed Fadhail
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohamed Al Jabir said:
The agreement was signed under UN and Red Cross supervision, and this deal will enable all detainees to return to their families.
Mohamed Al Jabir
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said:
It is ready to facilitate the transport and release of prisoners in a safe and dignified manner.
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Diplomats described the swap as a confidence-building measure under the Stockholm truce framework of 2018. If this deal is implemented fully, it will be the largest exchange of war to date.
The pact was supervised by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
This agreement will make it possible for all the prisoners to go back to their families,
Mohamed Al Jabir
Stated Saudi envoy to Yemen Mohamed Al Jabir.
The ICRC committed itself to the secure, respectful transportation and release of the detainees. Authorities referred to this occurrence as a move toward the rebuilding of trust. The complete execution of this agreement would be the largest trade of the war by far.
The escalation of the Yemeni civil war resulted from the seizure of Sanaa, the capital, by the Houthis in 2014. In 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened. More than 150, 000 people have died because of the war, which has also caused a terrible humanitarian crisis.
The diplomats stated that the agreement is primarily intended to ease the dire human situation and to establish trust between the parties. The Gulf countries, which have always considered the war as a part of the wider Middle East problems, see this new move as a trial of whether the fragile peace in Yemen can be sustained and eventually lead to further talks.