IDF Issues Evacuation Orders for Yemeni Ports After Houthi Missile Strikes
By The Media Line Staff
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued urgent evacuation warnings on Wednesday for three Houthi-controlled ports in Yemen—Ras Isa, Al Hudaydah, and Al-Salif—citing their use as launch points for attacks against Israel. The warnings urged civilians to leave the ports and avoid the areas “until further notice,” as Israeli officials signaled the possibility of further airstrikes.
The move followed a series of ballistic missile launches by the Iran-backed Houthi group over the past two days. Early Wednesday morning, Israeli air defenses intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, triggering sirens in Jerusalem, the southern West Bank, and areas around the Dead Sea. The day before, another missile caused sirens across central Israel, including Tel Aviv.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Ben-Gurion Airport, saying they targeted it three times within 24 hours. While most of those missiles were intercepted, one missile did evade defense systems and struck airport grounds on May 8, hitting a grove near an access road on the perimeter of the facility. The blast left a 25-meter-deep crater and injured at least six people. Flight operations were briefly suspended.
Israel denied the Houthi claim that Ben-Gurion Airport was struck multiple times and said that aside from the single impact on May 8, no missiles had penetrated its defenses. There has been no independent confirmation of the Houthis’ broader claims.
Although the United States recently brokered a ceasefire with the Houthis, the group declared that the agreement does not apply to Israel and vowed to continue its missile campaign. The Houthis say their attacks are in response to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Since resuming its offensive in March, Israel has conducted airstrikes on Houthi infrastructure in Yemen. The ongoing exchanges have raised concerns over regional escalation and the safety of key shipping routes in the Red Sea.
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