JERUSALEM: Israel’s army on Wednesday urged Yemenis to stay away from Houthi-held ports, in a likely warning of retaliation after it intercepted a missile fired by the fighters.

The Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, have repeatedly targeted Israel and shipping in the Red Sea since the Oct 2023 start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” said the Israeli military. Eyewitness in Jerusalem heard explosions, likely from the interception of the missile.

The Houthis, who control large swathes of the Arabian Peninsula country, claimed responsibility for launching the missile in what they said was their third attack on Israel in less than 24 hours.

UN envoy fears escalation between Sanaa and Tel Aviv

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said they targeted Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main gateway near Tel Aviv, using what they called “a hypersonic ballistic missile”.

The Israeli military later warned Yemenis to stay away from three Houthi-held sea ports. “Due to the use of sea ports by the terrorist Houthi regime... we urge all people present in these ports to evacuate and stay away from them for your safety until further notice,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X, mentioning the Yemeni ports of Hodeida, Ras Issa and Salif.

Last month, a missile fired by the Iran-backed group struck the grounds of the airport, gouging a hole near its main terminal building and wounding several people, in a rare penetration of Israel’s air defences. Israel retaliated against the Houthis by striking the airport in Yemen’s rebel-controlled capital Sanaa and three nearby power stations. The Israeli military had issued a warning on Sunday for Yemenis to leave three Houthi-controlled ports, but no strikes have been reported since.

The Houthis paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, but in March threatened to renew them over Israel’s aid blockade on Gaza. US President Donald Trump, currently in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of a tour of the Gulf, last week announced the Houthis had agreed to halt attacks on shipping.

The United States began carrying out strikes against the Huthis in early 2024 under president Joe Biden, and Trump’s administration launched renewed attacks on the rebels in March. The Pentagon said on April 30 that US strikes had hit more than 1,000 targets in Yemen since mid-March in an operation dubbed “Rough Rider”.

‘Dangerous escalation’

The UN special envoy for Yemen warned on Wednesday of a “dangerous escalation” between Israel and the Houthis, as the Israeli army carried out reprisal strikes on group.

Recent events have served “as stark reminders that Yemen is ensnared in the wider regional tensions,” Hans Grundberg told a meeting of the UN Security Council.

He said the Houthi’s May 4 attack on Israel’s Ben Gurion airport and subsequent Israeli strikes in Yemen “represent a dangerous escalation, and the threats and attacks, regrettably, continue.”

A Houthi missile struck the grounds of Israel’s main international airport last week, gouging a hole near its main terminal and wounding several people, in a rare penetration of Israel’s air defences. Israel retaliated by striking the airport in Yemen’s rebel-controlled capital Sanaa and three nearby power stations.

On Wednesday, Israel’s army said it had intercepted another missile fired by the group, and urged Yemenis to stay away from Houthi-held ports, a likely warning of retaliatory strikes.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2025