Exclusive: Houthis threatens military response to Israel blockade breach

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Yemen’s Ansarallah (Houthis) warned that any attempt to break the blockade imposed on Israeli ports and airports would be treated as a direct military target and as participation in the war.

Assistant Director of the Moral Guidance Department in the Houthi-affiliated Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Abed Mohammed Al-Thawr told Shafaq News that the blockade remains in place on Israeli airports and ports, “and the Yemeni armed forces are prepared for any escalation on the ground.”

“Any country, including the United States, that attempts to breach the blockade on Haifa and Eilat ports will be directly targeted and treated as a party to the war,” he added.

Al-Thawr also confirmed that operations between Yemen and the United States have completely ceased since Washington announced a halt to its military campaign, noting that Ansarallah’s actions are exclusively directed against Israel.

Yahya Saree, the group’s military spokesperson, announced in a statement that Houthis carried out today two missile attacks on Lod Airport (Ben Gurion) in the city of Jaffa (Tel Aviv) using a hypersonic ballistic missile. He continued that the strike disrupted air traffic, forced incoming flights to turn back, and prompted civilians to take shelter.

Earlier this week, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Israel’s Haifa port in response to intensified Israeli attacks on Gaza, urging all vessels docked or en route to the port to heed the warning.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023, Yemen’s Ansarallah has launched dozens of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and vessels in the Red Sea.

They later paused operations when a ceasefire in Gaza took effect on January 19, 2025, but resumed them once Israel renewed its strikes on the devastated Palestinian enclave. The group has vowed to intensify its attacks as long as Israeli bombardments continue.