Yemen's Houthi group announces naval blockade on Israeli Haifa port

The Yemeni Houthi group late on Monday announced imposing a naval blockade on the Israeli port of Haifa on the Mediterranean coast, in response to the ongoing Israeli offensive and blockade on Gaza.

A statement by the group's military spokesman Yahya Saree warned commercial ships to keep away from the port.

"All companies with ships present in or heading to the mentioned port (of Haifa) should take into consideration the contents of this statement and that it became part of our bank of targets," Saree said.

He, however, added that "all our measures and decisions related to the Israeli enemy will cease once the aggression on Gaza stops and the blockade is lifted."

The new development by the Houthi comes as flight travels are also disrupted at the Ben Gurion airport in central Israel amid an exchange of attacks between Israel and the Houthi group.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 53,500 people have been killed in the ongoing Israeli offensive.