Yemen’s Houthis threaten blockade of Israel’s Haifa port
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Houthi soldiers patrol a street in Sana'a, Yemen, on May 16.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
CAIRO - Yemen’s Houthi rebels said on May 19 that they would impose a “naval blockade” of the Israeli port of Haifa in response to Israel’s escalation of the Gaza war.
The Houthis would “begin working to enforce a naval blockade of the port of Haifa”, said military spokesman Yehya Saree.
“All companies with ships present in or heading to this port are hereby notified that, as of the time of this announcement, the aforementioned port has been included in the target bank,” the spokesman added.
The move was “in response to the Israeli enemy’s escalation of its brutal aggression against our people and in Gaza”, he said, adding that attacks on Israel would “cease once the aggression on Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that his country will “take control” of all of Gaza as part of a heightened offensive against Hamas.
The Iran-backed Houthis have regularly fired missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israel.
The Houthis paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in the war that collapsed in March.
They have threatened to resume attacks on international shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on Gaza. In response, the US military began hammering the rebels with near-daily air strikes starting March 15 to head off threats to ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Despite a ceasefire agreed with the United States in May, the Houthis have vowed to continue targeting Israel in solidarity with Gaza Palestinians.
On May 16, Israel threatened to target Houthi leaders after Israeli fighter jets struck two rebel-held ports.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Houthi leaders that if missile attacks continue, they face the same fate as Hamas leaders slain by Israel in Gaza. AFP
