Yemen's Houthi rebels are open to more talks with the rival government if progress is made this week at UN-brokered negotiations in Sweden, a spokesman said on Sunday.

Wounded Yemeni rebels arrived at Sanaa airport to be flown to Oman for treatment in a 'confidence-building' measure Monday, as the UN envoy returned seeking to push ahead with planned peace talks.

Intense fighting broke out in Yemen's port city of Hodeidah late on Monday, shattering a lull in violence that had raised hopes of a ceasefire between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi insurgents as the United Nations tried to resume peace talks.

The UN's Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths has met the country's Houthi rebels in a push for new peace talks, as fighting continued around Hodeida.

The government representative said the delegation had decided to return home after the talks were put on hold for three days.

Multiple military sources reported the government alliance attempted on Friday to close in on rebel-held Hodeida.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, expected at UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva with the government, remained grounded in Sanaa on Friday citing fears they would not be allowed to return to the capital.

The rebel delegation, still in Sanaa, insisted the UN meets three demands before it travels to Switzerland.

The United Nations has invited Yemen's government and Iran-backed Houthi rebels to Geneva next month for talks on resolving the country's civil war, a spokeswoman said on Friday.

Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition have been conducting an offensive to capture Hodeida from Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia said Sunday it had destroyed sites used by Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen to launch missiles at the kingdom.

The United Arab Amirates on Sunday announced it had halted the offensive it is backing against Houthi rebels in Yemen's port city of Hodeida to give a chance to UN diplomatic efforts.