Yemeni Escalation Hits ’Israel’s’ Supply Arteries
By Israa Al-Fass
Sanaa has announced the launch of the fourth phase of the naval blockade against the "Israeli" occupation entity — a major escalation aimed at intensifying pressure on the enemy to end its war on the Gaza Strip.
This new phase makes no exceptions. A statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces [YAF] spokesperson made clear that any shipping company engaging with “Israeli” ports will be targeted, regardless of its nationality or location—so long as it remains within Yemeni reach.
This is more than an expansion of the blockade; it is a strategic shift. The campaign is no longer limited to targeting ships that dock directly in occupied ports. Instead, the aim is now to paralyze all of the entity’s logistical arteries and render all of its ports inoperative—similar to the port of “Eilat,” which has been out of service for months.
The YAF has begun intensive tracking of vessels operating along the supply lines between the Eastern Mediterranean and the occupied ports, as well as oil tankers that feed the daily lifelines of the Zionist entity.
This escalation comes in response to an urgent message sent last week to Ansarullah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi by the leadership of Hamas. The message conveyed the dire humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza and included an urgent plea for Yemeni intervention.
The message’s urgency was clearly reflected in the tone and content of Sayyed Al-Houthi’s most recent speech. In it, he condemned the “negative, disgraceful, cowardly, and complicit Arab stance”—a position, he noted, that has directly impacted the behavior of Islamic countries, “which would have taken much stronger positions had the Arabs acted with greater resolve”.
“But it is no secret,” he added, “that major Arab regimes take a hostile stance against anyone who chooses the path of resistance—especially concerning the Palestinian cause. That’s why they are extremely hostile toward the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
In veiled yet pointed terms, Sayyed Al-Houthi criticized those who shed crocodile tears in the media while continuing to supply the occupation’s economy with goods. He urged them instead to provide genuine economic alternatives to compensate for the impact of the Yemeni blockade.
Turkey: The Largest Supply Line
“A so-called Islamic regime that expresses media sympathy for the Palestinian people, yet whose ships have done more to support ‘Israel’ than any other country in the world”.
This is how the Ansarullah leader described Turkey, citing global maritime tracking data showing that Turkey has become the Zionist entity’s largest maritime supplier. During the ongoing war on Gaza, shipments from Turkey to “Israel” surged—particularly between May 3 and December 7, 2024, a period during which Ankara officially claimed to have severed trade ties with the occupation.
In that span, over 340 maritime shipments were recorded between Turkey and the occupied ports, with 108 ships departing Turkish ports and heading directly to “Israeli” destinations.
A report published in April by the Türkiye Today website highlighted this surge. Based on data from Turkey’s Ministry of Trade and the Turkish Exporters Assembly [TIM], the report revealed that in March 2024, the most exported items to “Israel” were grains, legumes, oilseeds and related products. Following that, steel exports recorded a shocking surge-an unprecedented 9,000% increase compared to the same month the previous year.
In March 2024, Turkey’s steel exports to the occupation entity reached $13.9 million, up from only $153,400 in March 2023—a staggering 8,962.2% year-on-year increase, according to Turkish trade data.
Egyptian and Saudi Ports: Supply Lines
Meanwhile, Egyptian ports have also played a major role as active maritime bridges to the occupation. With Gaza under total blockade and its only land crossing closed, five Egyptian ports have become key logistical routes for “Israel” due to their proximity. These are: Alexandria, Damietta, Dekheila, Port Said and Al-Arish.
Official data from Egypt’s Export Council revealed that Egypt’s cement exports to the occupation entity in 2024 reached record levels—the highest since the two sides began trading. According to a report published by Arabi Post in August 2024:
- In 2021: Egyptian cement exports reached $1.38 million
- In 2022: Rose to $1.65 million
- In 2023: Increased to $3.80 million
- From January to October 2024: Skyrocketed to $50.7 million
The role of Saudi ports has also recently come under scrutiny. Yemeni military media published interviews two days ago with the crew of the ETERNITY C vessel, which Yemeni forces sank. The crew admitted the ship was heading to the port of “Eilat” after departing Somalia’s Berbera Port, with Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Port listed as a refueling stop—a decoy tactic used to conceal the vessel’s true destination.
Saudi ports now serve as transit hubs for unloading goods imported by the occupation from countries such as China and India. These goods are either re-exported by sea or transported overland via Jordan. The same method has been employed by the UAE and Bahrain, as confirmed by reports from the Times of Israel and other “Israeli” sources.
Examining the full scale of Turkish and Arab maritime trade with the occupation reveals a staggering level of complicity. It raises a critical question: By what logic do Arab regimes—and Turkey—place “Israel’s” economic interests above their own national security?
This security is now being openly threatened by declared “Israeli”-American intentions to forcibly displace the population of Gaza—a scenario that risks destabilizing Egypt and Jordan. At the same time, the broader regional landscape faces fragmentation, with “Israeli” aggression cutting through Syria’s northern flank and threatening to set off wider collapse across the region.
What dark future are these governments paving for their peoples and nations? What regimes, in their calculations, believe they will be spared from the seismic consequences of this unfolding collapse?
The answer may lie in the words once spoken by the martyr Yahya Al-Sinwar about Gaza: “This city will expose all normalizers, disgrace all collaborators and reveal the truth about every compromiser and traitor”.
