Yemen’s Houthis declare a blockade of Israel’s Haifa port
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows Haifa Port, which is to be sold to India's Adani Ports and local partner Gadot in Haifa, Israel July 24, 2022. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
In response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Yemen’s Houthi militia is imposing a “maritime blockade” on Israel’s Haifa port a move which could mark a significant escalation, risking further Israeli retaliation and wider regional fallout.
The Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that all ships present in or heading to Haifa are now considered potential targets, reports the Arab Weekly plus agencies on May 20.
In a televised address, he added that the decision followed the group’s successful blockade of the Eilat port, which is no longer operational.
While the group’s maritime attacks had previously been confined to the Red Sea, Saree’s declaration marks an expansion into the Mediterranean. As other critical trade routes are targeted, the move risks wider regional backlash.
These intensified efforts come in response to Israel’s unapologetic blockade of the Gaza Strip. For nearly three months, it has blocked all food, medicine, and supplies coming into Gaza, using hunger as a bargaining chip to pressure Hamas.
On May 19, in response to international pressure, Israel conceded that it would allow “a basic amount of food” into the Strip. However, a famine is already underway with one in five Palestinians facing starvation, whilst the rest of the population suffers from high levels of acute food insecurity, according to a recent report by the United Nations.
“We will not hesitate to take further necessary measures in support of the oppressed Palestinian people and their brave resistance,” Saree said.
The Houthis have launched missiles at various strategic points in Israel, including strikes near Ben Gurion Airport on May 4, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has retaliated with airstrikes, including one on May 6 that damaged Yemen’s main airport in Sanaa and killed several people.
On May 14, Israel reported a missile launched from Yemen. Though it was intercepted, the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported on May 16 that Israel had launched an attack on Yemen’s Hodeidah and Salif ports along the country’s Red Sea coast.
The Arab Weekly/ Agencies/ Maghrebi
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