Israel warns Yemenis to avoid ports after intercepting missile

Israel warns Yemenis to avoid ports after intercepting missile
by AFP Staff Writers
Jerusalem (AFP) May 14, 2025

Israel's army on Wednesday urged Yemenis to stay away from Huthi-held ports, in a likely warning of retaliation after it intercepted a missile fired by the Iran-backed rebels.

The Huthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, have repeatedly targeted Israel and shipping in the Red Sea since the October 2023 start of the war 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.

AFP correspondents in Jerusalem heard explosions, likely from the interception of the missile.

The Huthis, 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.

Huthi 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 Huthi-held sea ports.

"Due to the use of sea ports by the terrorist Huthi 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.

- 'Running for shelter' -

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, said the missile threat from Yemen was disrupting daily life.

"While we handle this press conference, there are sirens in Jerusalem and the centre of Israel after missiles from the Huthis in Yemen," he said.

"Millions of Israelis are now running for shelter, and it happens during the time that all the children go to schools or to kindergartens, and this is daily life under these attacks."

On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it intercepted another missile with which the Huthis claimed they targeted Ben Gurion.

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 Huthis 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 Huthi-controlled ports, but no strikes have been reported since.

The Huthis paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in the Gaza war, 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 Huthis 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".

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