Israel Orders Residents In Southern Gaza To Evacuate On Heels Of Houthi Drone Attack On Tel Aviv

Israel has ordered residents in part of Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, to evacuate on Monday as it plans to take military action against Hamas.

What Happened: The evacuation order extended into parts of an area that Israel had previously designated a humanitarian zone.

Israel’s military is now pushing back the zone’s boundaries because Hamas had used the zone to launch rockets toward Israel, the New York Times reported.

Residents were told to move temporarily closer to the coast to the "adjusted Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi."

Israeli fighter jets also struck Houthi military installations near Yemen’s Hodeidah Port on Saturday in response to a Houthi attack on Tel Aviv on Friday, CNN reported. This marked the first time that Israel has attacked inside Yemen.

Since Hamas began attacking Israel in early October, the Houthis have been striking merchant vessels in the Red Sea in support of Gaza.

Also Read: Israeli Forces Intensify Attacks In Gaza, Southern Lebanon Ahead Of Netanyahu’s Visit To US Congress

The Houthis said they fired more missiles toward Israel after an attack occurred near Hodeidah Port. Houthis promised a response that would be “huge and great” against Israel.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel attacked the port because Iran used it to bring arms into Yemen.

"The port we attacked is not an innocent port. It was used for military purposes, it was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran," Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam criticized the attack as "brutal Israeli aggression" against Yemen.

Netanyahu also said the operation, which hit targets 1,118 miles from Israel's borders, showed Israel was serious about responding to threats.

"It makes it clear to our enemies that there is no place that the long arm of the State of Israel will not reach," Netanyahu said.

Why It Matters: The development comes just as Netanyahu prepares for tense meetings in Washington, D.C. to urge the Biden administration and Congress to support Israel’s war effort.

In March, Israel withdrew from truce discussions.

Between Oct. 7, 2023, and July 22, 2024, at least 39,006 Palestinians were killed and 89,818 were injured in the war between Israel and Hamas, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Price Action: Exchange-traded funds with Israel exposure made gains into Monday’s late-afternoon trading.

•  iShares MSCI Israel ETF EIS gained 7.68%.
•  ARK Israel Innovative Technology ETF (IZRL) edged up 0.86%.
• VanEck Israel ETF ISRA picked up 1.66%.
• Amplify BlueStar Israel Technology ETF ITEQ rose 2.15%.
• Invesco Solar ETF TAN went up 0.63%.

Read Now:

• Israel Intensifies Gaza Strikes, Killing At Least 28 Palestinians, As US Envoy Meets With Netanyahu To Prevent Full-Scale Assault

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