ISRAEL has issued an evacuation warning to Houthi-controlled ports, raising the spectre that further air strikes are on the horizon.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson issued the warning in a social media post on Sunday, stating that anyone at the ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah and Al-Salif should evacuate.

“Due to the terrorist Houthi regime’s use of seaports for its terrorist activities, we urge all those present at these ports to evacuate and stay away from them for your own safety until further notice,” IDF spokesperson for Arab media Avichay Adraee said.

The warning spells further risk for seafarers and vessels caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Houthi conflict. The Yemeni faction is said to be detaining ships at its ports under the threat of violence, meaning that ships seeking to adhere to the Israeli warnings to avoid being hit by air strikes may find themselves attacked by the Houthis.

The Israeli warning comes amid escalating aggression between Israel and the Houthis after the Yemeni faction successfully penetrated Israel’s air defence system earlier this month with a missile strike near Israel’s international airport.

The Houthis have resumed their missile and drone attacks on Israel after the ceasefire with Hamas collapsed in March, but most projectiles until the May 4 strike were intercepted. The hit near the airport has seen several airlines suspend flights to Israel, and the Houthis have since announced a “ban” on flights to Israel.

Israel retaliated with airstrikes against multiple targets in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, including Hodeidah port and the airport in Sana’a, on May 5 and 6.

The escalation also comes amid the surprise US-Houthi truce announced last week, with both sides agreeing not to attack the other after weeks of the US pounding targets in Yemen.

US air raids destroyed much of the port of Ras Isa on April 17 and reportedly struck it twice again earlier in May. Ras Isa is the Houthis’ primary hub for imports of refined petroleum products and liquefied petroleum gas.

Automatic Identification System data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence indicate that at least two vessels are currently berthed at Ras Isa (excluding the hijacked Galaxy Leader (IMO: 9237307)). It was not immediately clear whether the port has been able to resume cargo operations in the wake of the destruction from US air strikes, but vessels previously tracked attempting to berth at Ras Isa following the airstrikes appeared to return to anchorage within a relatively short amount of time, suggesting they were unable to discharge.

Two vessels currently moored in Ras Isa, product tanker Palm (IMO: 9281425) and US-sanctioned LPG carrier Akoya Gas (IMO: 9142150), left their berths and headed to anchorage on Sunday evening, coinciding roughly with the time the Israeli warning was issued, but returned to berth on Monday morning, AIS data showed.