The announcement follows a string of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory and marks a widening of Ansarallah’s military front in response to Israel’s continued war on Gaza.
The Ansarallah movement in Yemen has announced the beginning of operations to impose a naval blockade on the Israeli port of Haifa, marking a significant escalation in its military campaign in solidarity with Gaza.
The announcement came in a televised statement delivered by the group’s military spokesman on Monday evening.
The spokesman confirmed that Ansarallah forces are “implementing the leadership’s directives to begin work on imposing a naval blockade on the port of Haifa.”
He added that all companies using the port should take this development seriously, as Haifa has now been added to their “bank of targets.”
The Yemeni military forces decided to impose a naval blockade on the port of Haifa.
Sea ports in occupied Palestine will be closed and airports will no longer be safe. pic.twitter.com/xK15czMhEK— Yemen Military 🇾🇪 (@Yemenimilitary) May 20, 2025
This move comes after what the group describes as the successful imposition of a siege on the port of Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat), which halted operations there.
The spokesman reiterated that the decision is a direct response to Israel’s ongoing military assault on Gaza and its blockade of food and medical supplies into the Strip.
“We inform all companies with ships present in or heading to the port that Haifa has been included in the target list, effective immediately,” the spokesman stated.
In recent days, Ansarallah has also intensified its aerial operations against Israel.
On Sunday, the group announced that it had targeted Ben Gurion Airport twice within a 24-hour period—first with two ballistic missiles, including a hypersonic ‘Palestine 2’ missile and a ‘Zulfiqar’ missile, and then with a Yaffa drone on Saturday.
According to Ansarallah, the attacks achieved their objectives, temporarily halting air traffic and sending millions of Israelis into bomb shelters.
[English caption]The Yemeni Armed Forces have declared a naval blockade on the port of Haifa.
This footage from Hezbollah’s Hudhud drone operations reveals a close-up look at key military, commercial, and industrial targets inside the port. pic.twitter.com/TF8fiX3YVq
— الأخ الكبير (@BIG__Brother7) May 20, 2025
Israel’s military confirmed that it intercepted one missile launched from Yemen on Sunday morning. Air raid sirens were activated across central Israel, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and parts of the occupied West Bank. One Israeli civilian was reportedly injured while fleeing to a shelter in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv.
The missile strikes on Ben Gurion followed Israeli attacks on Friday evening targeting Yemen’s Hodeidah and Salif ports. Israel also threatened to assassinate Ansarallah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi should the missile launches continue.
In response, Ansarallah’s deputy media chief Nasr al-Din Amer vowed to escalate military operations, stating on X, “The Yemeni armed forces will expand operations in response to the expansion of Israeli aggression in Gaza and the continued targeting of Yemen’s ports.”
This latest escalation marks the ninth Israeli airstrike on Yemen since the beginning of the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, and the third since fighting resumed on March 18 following a two-month pause.
The naval blockade on Haifa coincides with Israel’s launch of a new military campaign in Gaza, which reportedly includes plans to reoccupy the entire territory.
The announcement also comes as ceasefire negotiations continue in Doha, now said to be entering a critical phase.
(PC, AJA, Al Mayadeen)
Say what you will about Ansarallah ( the Houthis )…
but they still haven’t resorted to killing innocent men, women, children, the elderly, the handicapped…” Israel ” has done all of that. My US government murdered innocent people in Yemen. Ansarallah only attacks strategic targets, military or economic; using precision, surgical strikes to hit them where it hurts. Why are they labeled terrorists, while Israelica is not?
Apart from Hamas the Houthis are the only true humans in this fight; may they long continue to bleed the Zionists. Together, they are the only humans left on this planet.
The west will keep pushing their propaganda for the Sunni kings. I had the privilege to live in the middle east for several years. I was fortunate to meet people from Yemen, Iraq, Iran, and people from Palestine. If people were given the opportunity to see for themselves how little they have but are willing to give up everything for the unjust, people would have a better understanding.
I will never forget my time there. All I can do is share the stories about humble people being persecuted over religious and political beliefs.