The latest arrest of 7 UN employees in the country's capital Sanaa seem to indicate the Houthis are on a zigzag course, according to international observers.
Before detaining th UN employees, the Houthis released the 25-member crew of the Galaxy Leader, a merchant ship they had seized in November 2023. They also let 153 prisoners of war go, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
However, as of now, the Houthis, have yet to state why they kidnapped those 7 UN employees.
"The Houthis picked up the UN staff because they are more valuable for negotiating a deal," Abdulghani Al-Iryani, senior researcher at the Yemeni think tank Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, said to DW.
Hisham Omeisy, a Yemeni conflict analyst based in Washington, also believes that the Houthis needed new assets for negotiations.
"With the impending Foreign Terrorist Organization designation and a further squeeze on their resources, they need to play their hands and do what they always do best, which is basically hostage taking and use of force," Omeisy told DW.
Within hours after his inauguration on January 20, US President Donald Trump had signed a decree that re-designated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) over their attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel.
The executive order will come into effect within 30 days, which is in late February.
In reaction to the latest kidnappings, the US State Department stated early Sunday morning, that "this latest Houthi roundup demonstrates the bad faith of the terrorist group's claims to seek de-escalation and also makes a mockery of their claims to represent the interests of the Yemeni people."
"The President's Executive Order on designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) recognizes these realities and will hold the group accountable for its reckless attacks and actions," the statement added.
For Yemen observer Omeisy, there is little indication that the Houthis are overly worried about the renewed terrorist label.
"The Houthis have gotten comfortable doing it [attacks and kidnappings], seeing they got away with it in the past and with no serious repercussions to their actions," he told DW.
Since 2021, the Houthis repeatedly kidnapped internationals from the UN, aid organizations and diplomatic missions. Meanwhile, they are thought to keep around 70 people as hostages.
"They believe that the UN and other organizations won't stop their programs, because the rest of Yemen still needs aid," Omeisy said.
However, as a consequence of the latest kidnappings, the United Nations actually decided to halt all forms of aid in Houthi-held areas. This affects some 70% of Yemen's population.
"To ensure the security and safety of all its staff, the United Nations has suspended all official movements into and within areas under the de facto authorities' control," Julien Harneis, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, stated on Friday.
"The detentions mark a troubling escalation for humanitarian operations in Yemen, where access and security remain critical concerns," Harneis admitted.
Yemen's population has been bearing the brunt of a decade-long conflict between the Houthis and the country's internationally recognized government.
According to the latest Yemen Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2025 by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an estimated 19.5 million people — which is half the population — need humanitarian aid in 2025.
In comparison to 2024, this marks an increase of 1.3 million people.