Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi delivers a speech via a TV screen during a demonstration to commemorate Ashura in Sanaa, Yemen October 12, 2016.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi proposed a deal to swap prisoners with the legitimate government which – through its envoy – requested the United Nations pressure the rebels to release those detained and ignore Houthi’s statements, Al-Arabiya television channel reported.

Militias in Yemen are suffering from shortage in the number of fighters due to the heavy losses inflicted on them, and this may have pushed Houthi to make this proposal.

According to some observers, Houthi’s proposal is due to the escalating extent of the confrontations and due to tribal leaders’ abstention from pushing more of their tribesmen to participate in the fighting alongside the rebels.

Several tribal leaders in support of the Houthi militias in the Omran governorate have complained that the ongoing battles have killed many men from their tribes at a time when the outcome does not seem to be in favor of the rebels.