Israel strikes Hodeidah port, threatens naval, air blockade
By Jana Choukeir
DUBAI (Reuters) -Israel stepped up pressure on Yemen's Houthis on Tuesday, deploying its navy to hit targets in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah and threatening the Iran-aligned movement with a naval and air blockade if attacks on Israel persist.
Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said Israel carried out two strikes on the docks of Al Hodeidah port. The Israeli army said in a statement that the navy struck Houthi targets, adding that the port is used by the group to transfer weapons.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. Israel has been hitting Houthi targets with air strikes in a military campaign launched after the country severely weakened Iran's other Middle East partners.
The Israeli military on Monday urged the evacuation of the Houthi-controlled ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah and Salif.
"We warned the Houthi terror organization that if they continue to fire toward Israel, they will face a powerful response and will be subjected to a naval and aerial blockade", Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on X.
An Israeli military official said the operation was a unique long-range strike conducted from hundreds of kilometers away and that the navy had been preparing for it for an extended period of time.
The navy was chosen based on operational considerations, the official added.
British maritime security firm Ambrey said there was no reported damage to merchant vessels in the port following the Israeli strikes.
Ambrey also advised vessels to minimize crew movements on deck while operating in the vicinity.
The Israeli military said later on Tuesday that a missile launched from Yemen toward Israel had most likely been intercepted, after sirens sounded in several areas.
The Houthis' military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said shortly after that the group targeted central Israel's Jaffa with two ballistic missiles.
He also reiterated a warning that Israel's port of Haifa has become a target for attacks.
"In response to the aggression on Hodeidah, the Yemeni Armed Forces warn all companies and various entities against continuing to deal with the port of Haifa, which has become a target," Sarea said in a televised address.
Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have fired at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade, in what it says are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones fired toward Israel have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes.
The U.S. also launched intensified strikes against the Houthis this year, before President Donald Trump halted the campaign after the Houthis agreed to stop attacks on American ships.
The Houthis are a resilient force that survived years of Saudi-led bombing in Yemen's civil war.
Israel has severely hurt other allies of Iran in the region - Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The Tehran-backed Houthis and pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq are still standing.
The group's leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, created the force challenging world powers from a group of ragtag mountain fighters in sandals.
Under the direction of al-Houthi, the group has grown into an army of tens of thousands of fighters and acquired armed drones and ballistic missiles. Saudi Arabia and the West say the arms come from Iran, though Tehran denies this.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Egypt blocks activists aiming to march to Gaza to draw attention to humanitarian crisis
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Egypt blocked activists planning to take part in a march to Gaza, halting their attempt to reach the border and challenge Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory before it could begin. To draw attention to the humanitarian crisis afflicting people in Gaza, marchers have for months planned to trek 30 miles (48 kilometers) across the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt's border with the enclave on Sunday to 'create international moral and media pressure' to open the crossing at Rafah and lift a blockade that has prevented aid from entering. Authorities have deported more than three dozen activists, mostly carrying European passports, upon their arrival at the Cairo International Airport in the past two days, an Egyptian official said Thursday. The official said the activists aimed to travel to Northern Sinai 'without obtaining required authorizations.' The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to brief the media. Egypt has publicly denounced the restrictions on aid entering Gaza and repeatedly called for an end to the war. It has said that the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing remains open, but access to the strip has been blocked since Israel seized the Palestinian side of the border as part of its war with Hamas that began in October 2023. Food security experts warn the Gaza Strip will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation, and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority. Israel has rejected the findings, saying the IPC's previous forecasts had proven unfounded. Sensitivities and security The Egyptian government has for years clamped down on dissidents and activists when their criticism touches on Cairo's political and economic ties with Israel, a sensitive issue in neighboring countries where governments maintain diplomatic relations with Israel despite broad public sympathy for Palestinians. Egypt had earlier warned that only those who received authorization would be allowed to travel the planned march route, acknowledging it had received 'numerous requests and inquiries.' 'Egypt holds the right to take all necessary measures to preserve its national security, including the regulation of the entry and movement of individuals within its territory, especially in sensitive border areas,' its foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Israel Katz, Israel's defense minister, yesterday referred to the protestors as 'jihadists' and called on Egypt to prevent them from reaching the border with Gaza. He said they 'endanger the Egyptian regime and constitute a threat to all moderate Arab regimes in the region.' The march is set to begin just days after a large convoy, which organizers said included thousands of activists, traveled overland across North Africa to Egypt. Marchers detained in Cairo Activists and attorneys said airport detentions and deportations began Wednesday with no explicit reason given by Egyptian authorities. Algerian attorney Fatima Rouibi wrote on Facebook that Algerians, including three lawyers, were detained at the airport on Wednesday before being released and ultimately deported back to Algiers on Thursday. Bilal Nieh, a Tunisian activist who lives in Germany, said he was deported along with seven others from northern Africa who also hold European passports. He wrote on Facebook early Thursday that authorities 'didn't give any reason or document stating the reason for deportation.' Governments of countries whose citizens were reportedly detained or deported, including France, had not issued any public comment on the activists as of Thursday morning. Organizers said in a statement that they had received reports that at least 170 participants had been delayed or detained in Cairo. They said they had followed the protocols laid out by Egyptian authorities, met with them and urged them to let march participants into the country. "We look forward to providing any additional information the Egyptian authorities require to ensure the march continues peacefully as planned to the Rafah border," they said in a statement. The Global March to Gaza is the latest civil society effort pressing for the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other aid into Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade in March in an attempt to pressure Hamas to disarm and to release hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. It slightly eased restrictions last month, allowing limited aid in, but experts warn the measures fall far short. Israel's offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, whose count does not distinguish between civilians or combatants. __ Natalie Melzer contributed reporting from Nahariya, Israel.
Forbes
24 minutes ago
- Forbes
Israel And Yemen's Houthis Threaten To Blockade Each Other's Ports
An Israeli navy missile boat patrols in the Red Sea off the coast of Israel's southern port city of ... More Eliat on December 26, 2023. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images) Israel attacked the major Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeidah using its naval forces for the first time on Tuesday. The Israeli defense minister warned the Houthis that it will impose a 'naval and air blockade' if it doesn't cease targeting Israel with ballistic missiles and drones. Katz's threat follows similar threats by the Yemen-based group to blockade Israeli ports. However, given the vast distances and logistical resources required to impose such blockades, are these mere empty threats? 'We warned the Houthi terror organization that if they continue to fire at Israel they will face a powerful response and enter a naval and air blockade,' warned Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday. Katz also declared that Israel's 'long arm in the air and at sea will reach everywhere.' Israeli missile boats hit the Red Sea Yemeni port on Tuesday morning using missile boats. Hodeidah is at least 1,180 miles from Israel's southernmost port of Eilat, also on the Red Sea. Before Tuesday's unprecedented attack, Israel invariably retaliated to Houthi attacks using fighter jets to carry out long-range strikes targeting Hodeidah, Sanaa International Airport, and other ports and economic-related targets controlled by the Houthis. The use of the warships for such a long-distance raid was notable and may signal Israel's willingness to use different tactics against the group. Katz's mention of a naval blockade comes less than a month after the Houthis declared a 'maritime blockade' on Israel's Haifa port on the Eastern Mediterranean, warning all companies and ships that the port is on its target list. 'The Houthis lack the capability to conduct a blockade. They can only threaten episodic attacks on shipping in the hopes that it will deter shipping companies from traveling to Israel,' Bryan Clark, a naval expert at the Hudson Institute think tank, told me. Mohammed Al-Basha, a Middle East security analyst at the Basha Report Risk Advisory, similarly believes that the likelihood of the Houthis successfully blockading Haifa's port remains low. 'Haifa receives its maritime traffic from the Mediterranean Sea and not the Red Sea, unlike Eilat Port (in southern Israel), which has already experienced near-closure due to repeated Houthi attacks,' Al-Basha told me. 'The Houthis do not currently possess the range or naval power to seriously affect Mediterranean shipping routes.' On the other hand, Israel's capability to enforce a blockade against Hodeidah and other Houthi-controlled ports is markedly greater. The most advanced warship in the Israeli Navy's surface fleet is undoubtedly its Sa'ar 6 corvette, which Al-Basha described as the 'central element' of Israel's expanding Red Sea presence. 'Earlier this week, the Sa'ar 6 reportedly launched only two missiles to strike berths at Hodeidah Port,' he said. 'Despite this limited action, the ship is capable of remaining at sea for more than a month, providing sustained offensive and defensive capabilities against Houthi targets as operations continue.' Outfitted with long-range precision-guided missiles such as the Gabriel V sea-skimming anti-ship missile and Delilah GL cruise missile, the Sa'ar 6 can engage targets from up to 186 mile off Yemen's coast. The small vessels also feature advanced defensive systems, including Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles and the naval version of Israel's well-known Iron Dome, the C-Dome. The corvettes can each carry an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter that can fire AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles. During previous clashes with the Houthis, U.S. Navy destroyer often defended themselves and commercial shipping using expensive SM-3 and SM-6 air defense missiles to intercept Houthi ballistic missiles and drones. The U.S. has since ceased operations against the Houthis after reaching a ceasefire in early May, which did not stipulate that the Houthis must cease targeting Israel. Consequently, Israel has been going it alone against the group ever since with long-range airstrikes and now seaborne attacks. 'I think the threat to Israeli ships is about the same as that posed to U.S. destroyers, although the Israeli missile boats have less air defense capacity,' Clark said. However, the smaller Israeli missile corvettes have some advantages over their much bulkier counterparts serving in the all-mighty U.S. Navy. 'Beyond tactical missions, the deployment of the Sa'ar 6 serves as a strategic signal of Israel's intent to expand their projection of power in the Red Sea,' Al-Basha said. 'Unlike a U.S. carrier strike group, which is slower and logistically complex, the Sa'ar 6 offers speed and maneuverability, making it a more elusive and survivable platform against asymmetric threats like those posed by the Houthis.' Despite such advantages, Israel would undoubtedly find imposing even a limited blockade on Yemen significantly challenging. 'There is growing speculation that Israel may also deploy the ship to intercept suspected Iranian weapons shipments destined for the Houthis,' Al-Basha said. 'Israeli military leadership has hinted at the possibility of imposing a limited maritime blockade on Houthi-controlled ports.' 'However, enforcing a full naval blockade would be challenging due to the limited operational range of Israel's air force and navy, the high logistical and financial costs involved, and the significant threat posed by the Houthis' array of anti-ship capabilities.' Al-Basha anticipates that Israeli commandos may board vessels Israel suspects of smuggling arms to the Houthis, which would align with Israel's broader strategy of disrupting Houthi supply lines without having to commit to a full blockade. The Hudson Institute's Clark similarly believes that the Israeli Navy could 'sustain a force' at Yemeni ports to stop traffic and inspect vessels it suspects of arms smuggling. 'However, it would likely take most of Israel's naval forces to do it,' he said. Aside from its Sa'ar-class corvettes on the surface, the Israeli Navy also has a fleet of German-built Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines armed with torpedos and cruise missiles. 'Submarines could be used to attack shipping, but it is difficult for a submarine to determine if a ship is carrying humanitarian aid or weapons,' Clark said. 'Therefore, subs are unlikely to be used to be used as part of a blockade,' Undoubtedly, Israel is much more capable of imposing a blockade on Yemeni ports than vice-versa. Nevertheless, the Houthis can credibly threaten Israel in other ways and may ultimately prove capable of harming Haifa's port. 'Looking ahead, the Houthis may attempt to escalate their campaign using advanced missile technology,' Al-Basha said. 'There are credible reports that they could deploy multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles or MIRVs on their Palestine 2 and Zulfiqar medium-range ballistic missiles.' 'A successful strike on Haifa's port infrastructure or a vessel docked in port could temporarily disrupt shipping operations and increase pressure on Israeli logistics.' The Houthis have fired repeatedly at Israel's main airport, Ben Gurion International. While they have so far failed to directly hit the airport, a Houthi ballistic missile evaded Israeli Arrow and American THAAD air defenses hit the perimeter of the main terminal on May 4. Israel responded by heavily bombing Sanaa airport and Hodeidah. Al-Basha noted there are fears that a 'single successful strike' by the Houthis on Ben Gurion or other critical Israeli infrastructure could 'change the strategic balance' in the group's favor. He noted the Houthis have 'already demonstrated determination and persistence' in targeting Israeli infrastructure. Furthermore, while Houthi threats to impose an aerial blockade over Tel Aviv were largely dismissed before May 4, that's certainly no longer the case. 'In May, about a quarter of international airlines canceled their flights to and from Ben Gurion due to the security risks,' Al-Basha said. 'That number may increase, especially after video footage showed a missile interception occurring dangerously close to a departing commercial airliner.' 'The conflict is entering a more volatile and unpredictable phase, and both Israel and the Houthis appear ready to escalate further if provoked.'
Associated Press
31 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Egypt blocks activists aiming to march to Gaza to draw attention to humanitarian crisis
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Egypt blocked activists planning to take part in a march to Gaza, halting their attempt to reach the border and challenge Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory before it could begin. To draw attention to the humanitarian crisis afflicting people in Gaza, marchers have for months planned to trek 30 miles (48 kilometers) across the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt's border with the enclave on Sunday to 'create international moral and media pressure' to open the crossing at Rafah and lift a blockade that has prevented aid from entering. Authorities have deported more than three dozen activists, mostly carrying European passports, upon their arrival at the Cairo International Airport in the past two days, an Egyptian official said Thursday. The official said the activists aimed to travel to Northern Sinai 'without obtaining required authorizations.' The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to brief the media. Egypt has publicly denounced the restrictions on aid entering Gaza and repeatedly called for an end to the war. It has said that the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing remains open, but access to the strip has been blocked since Israel seized the Palestinian side of the border as part of its war with Hamas that began in October 2023. Food security experts warn the Gaza Strip will likely fall into famine if Israel doesn't lift its blockade and stop its military campaign . Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation , and 1 million others can barely get enough food, according to findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading international authority. Israel has rejected the findings, saying the IPC's previous forecasts had proven unfounded. Sensitivities and security The Egyptian government has for years clamped down on dissidents and activists when their criticism touches on Cairo's political and economic ties with Israel, a sensitive issue in neighboring countries where governments maintain diplomatic relations with Israel despite broad public sympathy for Palestinians. Egypt had earlier warned that only those who received authorization would be allowed to travel the planned march route, acknowledging it had received 'numerous requests and inquiries.' 'Egypt holds the right to take all necessary measures to preserve its national security, including the regulation of the entry and movement of individuals within its territory, especially in sensitive border areas,' its foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Israel Katz, Israel's defense minister, yesterday referred to the protestors as 'jihadists' and called on Egypt to prevent them from reaching the border with Gaza. He said they 'endanger the Egyptian regime and constitute a threat to all moderate Arab regimes in the region.' The march is set to begin just days after a large convoy, which organizers said included thousands of activists, traveled overland across North Africa to Egypt. Marchers detained in Cairo Activists and attorneys said airport detentions and deportations began Wednesday with no explicit reason given by Egyptian authorities. Algerian attorney Fatima Rouibi wrote on Facebook that Algerians, including three lawyers, were detained at the airport on Wednesday before being released and ultimately deported back to Algiers on Thursday. Bilal Nieh, a Tunisian activist who lives in Germany, said he was deported along with seven others from northern Africa who also hold European passports. He wrote on Facebook early Thursday that authorities 'didn't give any reason or document stating the reason for deportation.' Governments of countries whose citizens were reportedly detained or deported, including France, had not issued any public comment on the activists as of Thursday morning. Organizers said in a statement that they had received reports that at least 170 participants had been delayed or detained in Cairo. They said they had followed the protocols laid out by Egyptian authorities, met with them and urged them to let march participants into the country. 'We look forward to providing any additional information the Egyptian authorities require to ensure the march continues peacefully as planned to the Rafah border,' they said in a statement. The Global March to Gaza is the latest civil society effort pressing for the entry of food, fuel, medical supplies, and other aid into Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade in March in an attempt to pressure Hamas to disarm and to release hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. It slightly eased restrictions last month, allowing limited aid in, but experts warn the measures fall far short. Israel's offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, whose count does not distinguish between civilians or combatants. __ Natalie Melzer contributed reporting from Nahariya, Israel.
