Israeli army issues evacuation warnings for 3 Yemeni ports ahead of expected strikes

By Mohamed Majed and Mohammad Sio

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli military issued evacuation warnings late Monday for the Yemeni ports of Ras Isa, Al Hudaydah and Al-Salif amid threats of strikes.

Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X that the ports, which are under Houthi control, must be cleared immediately “to ensure the safety of those present until further notice.”

He claimed that the Houthi group uses the ports for what Israel described as “terrorist activities.”

Earlier, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that a missile fired from Yemen was en route to Israeli territory but fell short, preventing air raid sirens from being activated.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv said the missile was not intercepted and fell in Saudi airspace, though it provided no further details.

It marked the first missile launch from Yemen toward Israel since last Thursday.

At the time, the Houthis said they had targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv with a “Palestine 2” missile. The Israeli military said it had intercepted the projectile before it reached its target.

The continued launches from Yemen have prompted several international airlines to suspend flights to Tel Aviv for varying periods.

Neither Saudi authorities nor the Houthis have commented on Monday’s missile or its impact site.

The Houthis have intensified missile and drone strikes on Israel since the Israeli military resumed attacks on Gaza in March after two months of a shaky ceasefire.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have also targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 55,000 people have been killed in an Israeli offensive