The fragile balance in the Middle East appeared to tilt further on Tuesday as the Israeli military issued an urgent evacuation order for Yemen&rsquo;s Hodeidah port, warning residents and docked ships to clear the area within hours ahead of a major offensive.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee took to social media to sound the alarm. &ldquo;Urgent Warning to Everyone Present at the Port of Hodeidah in Yemen. The Defense Army will attack in the coming hours in the area specified on the map in light of the military activities carried out by the terrorist Houthi regime there,&rdquo; he wrote.
He added a stark message: &ldquo;For your safety, we urge all those present at the Port of Hodeidah and the ships anchored there to evacuate the area immediately. Anyone who remains will put their life in danger.&rdquo;
The warning follows a deadly wave of Israeli strikes on Yemen on September 10, which killed at least 46 people and wounded more than 160, according to Houthi-run authorities. Among the targets in Sanaa were a military headquarters and a fuel station, with neighbouring residential areas also suffering damage.
These attacks were described by local media as some of the most severe in recent months, hitting deep into Yemen&rsquo;s capital.
Israel has steadily escalated its campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis, particularly after a Houthi drone strike recently hit an Israeli airport, drawing fierce retaliation. Just days earlier, on August 30, an Israeli strike killed the Houthi prime minister and several senior leaders, a watershed moment in the nearly two-year-old conflict that underscored Tel Aviv&rsquo;s willingness to directly target Yemen&rsquo;s political hierarchy.
With Hodeidah now under direct threat, the stakes are higher than ever. The Red Sea port is not only a lifeline for Yemen&rsquo;s imports but also a strategic corridor for global trade, raising fears that an Israeli strike could ignite regional instability well beyond the battlefield.
As the evacuation order reverberates through Hodeidah, the world watches closely, bracing for the next chapter in a conflict that shows no signs of cooling &mdash; and every sign of spiraling further.

Israel Warns Hodeidah Ahead of Imminent Strikes

IDF orders evacuation of Yemen’s key port city, vows to hit Houthi strongholds in hours

Israel Warns Hodeidah Ahead of Imminent Strikes

IDF orders evacuation of Yemen’s key port city, vows to hit Houthi strongholds in hours

September 17, 2025 | 24:52 IST