Hezbollah Did Not Target Haifa Port Amid Tensions With Israel
The Claim
Hezbollah has officially started striking the Israeli port of Haifa for the first time.
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Emerging story
Recently, social media users have been circulating a video claiming to depict a cargo fire with heavy smoke at Haifa Port in Israel.
An account on the X platform called “ZAINABZEHRA” shared the video with the caption, “Hezbollah has officially started striking the Israeli port of Haifa for the first time.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating video and found the claim to be misleading.
Engine Room Blaze Causes Thick Smoke at Haifa Port
After a reverse search, Misbar’s team found that the video is outdated. On June 10, 2024, the Turkish-owned cargo ship Yaf Horizon caught fire while berthed at Haifa port.
The fire was confined to the generator room on the second floor of the engine room, and no imminent threat to human life was found, according to on-scene commander Moshe Chiko Levy. Officials have ruled out the idea that the fire was ignited by gunfire or a drone strike.
On June 9, the Yaf Horizon cargo ship arrived at Haifa port and docked at Israel Shipyards in the Kishon District of Haifa port. The ship carried cargo made of steel or iron, according to the Marine Traffic site.
Yaf Horizon is a general cargo vessel sailing under the Panamanian flag. The 8,320-dwt vessel is owned and managed by Milestone Gemi Isletmeciligi ve Acenteligi Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Turkey. On June 1, the 2009-built vessel departed from Novorossiysk port, Russia.
According to the Marine Traffic map, the cargo arrived in the Marmara Sea near the Turkey border on July 11, 2024, and has remained in the region since then.
Israel-Hezbollah Conflict
After the Israeli war on Gaza began, Hezbollah opened fire on Israeli positions in support of the Palestinian cause.
Since then, it has fired anti-tank missiles at armored vehicles, launched more than 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and Israeli positions on the Golan Heights, and used explosive drones to attack military objectives. In retaliation, Israeli forces have struck Hezbollah sites in Lebanon with airstrikes, tanks, and artillery fire.
Haifa Port’s Strategic Importance and Recent Hezbollah Drone Activity
Haifa port is located just 27 km from the border with Lebanon, making it a potential strategic target.
In June 2024, Hezbollah released a nine-minute, 31-second video that it claimed contained footage from its surveillance planes of various areas in Israel, including Haifa’s seaport and airport. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the group, said in November that Hezbollah had been flying surveillance drones over Haifa.
Drone attacks have increased in frequency in the area in recent days, causing unease in the frontline region.
In July 2024, the Houthi organization in Yemen claimed responsibility for a drone assault in Tel Aviv, Israel, which resulted in one fatality and ten injuries.
The 280,000 residents of Haifa are familiar with the protocol: they have one minute to reach a bomb shelter or secure location if the air raid siren sounds or they receive an alert via smartphone.
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