by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

The Port of Haifa in Israel has been included in the list of Yemen’s Houthi targets.

This was announced by the Houthis’ spokesperson Yahya Saree, on Monday, who declared a maritime blockade on ships heading to Haifa Port.

"All companies with ships present in or heading to this port are hereby notified that, as of the time of this announcement, the aforementioned port has been included in the list of targets," said Saree.

The Houthis’ communications unit further announced that the group “decided to impose a comprehensive ban on maritime navigation to and from the port of Haifa. Therefore, ships are prohibited from loading or unloading in the port of Haifa, both directly and indirectly,” reports Shipping Watch.

Earlier this month, a ceasefire deal was reached between the US and the Houthis to end the group’s attack against commercial ships in the Red Sea.

However, the deal did not include Israeli ships, and Monday’s announcement shows that it also excludes ships heading to Israeli ports.

Despite occasional interruptions, the port’s operations did not face extended severe disruptions this year.

In April, a Houthi missile was launched towards the port city without causing damage to the infrastructure. 

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