Israeli military on Sunday night, issued an urgent evacuation alert targeting three Yemeni ports, signaling possible airstrikes in the wake of a United States-brokered ceasefire deal with the Houthis, a deal that notably excluded Israel.
The warning was delivered via social media by Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-language spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, who advised civilians to vacate the ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif.
This latest development comes just two days after the IDF reported intercepting a missile launched from Yemen, marking the first such incident since U.S. President Donald Trump announced a truce agreement between Washington and the Iran-aligned Houthis last week.
Despite the agreement, the Houthis declared their intention to persist in launching attacks on Israel, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as their driving motivation.
In response to being left out of the ceasefire arrangement, Israeli officials emphasized the country’s readiness to confront threats independently.
“Israel must be able to defend itself by itself against any threat and any enemy,” Defense Minister Israel Katz stated last week. “This has been true in the face of many past challenges, and it will remain true in the future.”
This is the second evacuation notice Israel has issued for Yemen in under a week. Just last Tuesday, the IDF ordered evacuations around Sana’a’s international airport, subsequently launching airstrikes that it claimed rendered the facility “fully” inoperative.