AFP, Jerusalem

Israel’s army yesterday urged Yemenis to stay away from Houthi-held ports, in a likely warning of retaliation after it intercepted a missile fired by the Iran-backed rebels.

The Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, have repeatedly targeted Israel and shipping in the Red Sea since the October 2023 start of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” said the Israeli military.

AFP correspondents in Jerusalem heard explosions, likely from the interception of the missile.

The Houthis, who control large swathes of the Arabian Peninsula country, claimed responsibility for launching the missile in what they said was their third attack on Israel in less than 24 hours.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said they targeted Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main gateway near Tel Aviv, using what they called “a hypersonic ballistic missile”.

The Israeli military later warned Yemenis to stay away from three Houthi-held sea ports.

“Due to the use of sea ports by the terrorist Houthi regime... we urge all people present in these ports to evacuate and stay away from them for your safety until further notice,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X, mentioning the Yemeni ports of Hodeida, Ras Issa and Salif.