Ownership of Zuqar Island was long disputed between Yemen and Eritrea as part of a dispute over the wider
Hanish Islands archipelago the island belongs to. In 1995 this led to the
Hanish Islands conflict. In 1996, the
Permanent Court of Arbitration in
The Hague began mediation of the dispute, and in 1998, awarded the larger islands (including Zuqar) to Yemen. The island's recapture was completed hours before a
ceasefire between the two sides came into effect. In June 2023, fighting broke out on the island after Houthis naval forces landed and attacked the
Yemeni National Resistance forces stationed there, but were likely repelled as no land was reported to be lost. The airstrip's construction was likely being funded by the
UAE, who earlier in the year had funded the creation of runways on other strategic islands in Yemen. == See also ==