Ma‘rakat al-Hudaydah), codenamed Operation Golden Victory,[14] was a major Saudi-led coalition assault on the port city of Al Hudaydah in Yemen.

[22][51] Amid international pressure, the coalition promised the strategy of not entering any populated areas of Hudaydah, but work to isolate the Houthis by cutting their supply lines.

[53][54][55][56] A UN-backed ceasefire agreement between the Hadi-led government and the Houthis was officially declared in December 2018 in Sweden with terms of troop withdrawal of both warring parties from Al Hudaydah.

[60] In the intervening two years, the UAE trained thousands of Yemeni soldiers, positioning them at bases in Eritrea and along Tihamah as part of the offensive on Al Hudaydah Governorate.

The UAE gave the UN a deadline to negotiate with the Houthis to withdraw from the port city peacefully by midnight 12 June 2018 to avoid a military confrontation.

[65] UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, stated on 11 June that she was "extremely concerned" about reports of a military plan by Arab coalition to capture Hudaida.

[71] In a tweet on 15 June, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Yemeni Supreme Revolutionary Committee criticized UN envoy Martin Griffith for failing to negotiate a peace deal, saying: "the role played by the former UN envoy did not exceed the profession of postman, and his initiative was rejected by the US-Saudi aggression in agreement with the mercenaries who refuse to accept the choice of a consensual person for the presidency.

[22] United States and other western powers have been criticized by human rights group for supporting Arab coalition airstrikes that have resulted in death of many civilians.

[55] France agreed to use minesweepers to clear explosive and sea mines which were placed by the Houthis around Al Hudaydah Port in anticipation of the attack, hence paving a way for the assault.

[79] In an official statement the Houthi-allied Yemeni Marine and Coastal Defense Command expressed its high readiness to counter the offensive on the port, warning of more attacks on the invading naval forces.

[21] Forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government claimed on 14 June that they could breach the first line of defence by Houthis defending the city.

[82] Yemeni army officials claimed that dozens of its members have been killed mostly by Houthi landmines and roadside bombs planted around the city and disguised as rocks.

[96] On 23 June, the United Arab Emirates announced a pause to the military operations and the advance on Al Hudaydah to allow for UN-brokered talks spearheaded by UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths.

[99] On 31 August, according to Houthi-run al-Masirah television network report, a Saudi Arabian airstrike attacked three fishing boats in Yemen's western coastline of Hudaydah city, near the island of Uqban.

[106] One Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a busy vegetable market in the town of Bayt el-Faqih south of the Hodeida city, killed 19 civilians including two children.

[119][120] Houthi Information Minister Abdul Salam Ali Jaber defected to Saudi Arabia, stating during a press conference that he was "forced to work with the coup-led government".

[130] According to pro-Houthi Saba News Agency, displaced citizens of Hudayda held a rally in Al Mahwit to protest the Saudi-led attacks on Yemen.

[134] A flight chartered by the United Nations evacuated 50 wounded Houthi fighters to Muscat, Oman for medical treatment, as part of the peace talks.

[5] A flight chartered by the United Nations evacuated 50 wounded Houthi fighters to Muscat, Oman for medical treatment, as part of the peace talks.

The UN brokered ceasefire was organized by UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths, while the main two officials representing the warring factions were Mohamed Abdel Salam, the Houthi spokesman, and Khaled al-Yamani, the Foreign Minister of the Internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Mohammed al-Houthi said that they are able to reach high seas and Saudi ports but they want to keep the strait open in order not to give the coalition an excuse to justify their ongoing war.

[150] On 16 June, Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy to Yemen, traveled to the Houthi-held capital Sanaa to persuade the Houthis to give up control of Al Hudaydah port amid growing fears that the battle will cut the only lifeline to the country's population.

[55] The pro-Hadi government minister of human rights denounced the Houthis tactics of planting sea and land mines around Al Hudaydah port.

[54] The battle forced about 2000 high-school students in Al Hudaydah to escape to Sanaa to take part in university admission exams, which was organized by the Houthis to alleviate social frustrations.

[163] Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi blamed the assault on Western inaction, saying that the British assured them a week earlier that no coalition troops would attack Hudayda "without their agreement and assistance".

[44] Houthi spokesman Abdul Salem also stated that aggression in the West Coast "lacks moral and social values, so the aggressors resort to media show off and psychological warfare".

[72] Writing an op-ed in The Washington Post, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi-led Supreme Revolutionary Committee, stated the November escalation of war against Hudaida showed that US calls for peace were empty, misleading and only meant to save face after Khashoggi murder scandal, arguing that Trump administration is also interested in continuation of the war because of economic profits.

[43] The session concluded with a rejection and opposition to call for a ceasefire and the immediate withdrawal of the Saudi led forces, but has instead urged sides to uphold international humanitarian law during the battle.

[70] The United States did not express opposition to the offense and has offered airstrike target assistance and qualified support, but noted increasing concerns regarding humanitarian consequences.

[49] However, the United Nations Security Council rejected a call for a ceasefire and the immediate withdrawal of the Saudi led forces, but has instead urged sides to uphold international humanitarian law during the battle.