Thursday March 12, 2026
Hargeisa (HOL) — Israel is exploring the possibility of establishing a strategic base in Somaliland, the self-declared republic in northern Somalia, as part of efforts to target Yemen’s Houthi movement, according to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday.
The report, citing unnamed Somaliland officials and people familiar with the matter, said Israel has been assessing potential sites along Somaliland’s coastline, including elevated terrain west of the port city of Berbera, roughly 260 kilometers (160 miles) across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen.
According to Bloomberg, Somaliland authorities would allow Israel to gather intelligence and potentially conduct operations targeting the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, the Iran-aligned group that controls large parts of northern Yemen.
A delegation of Israeli security officials reportedly visited the Somaliland coast in June to survey possible locations for a base or military installation. The report also said Israel rented secured rooms in a Hargeisa hotel while assessing a site for a potential embassy.
“In terms of security, we will have a strategic relationship and that encompasses a lot of things,” Somaliland’s minister of the presidency, Khadar Hussein Abdi, told Bloomberg. “We haven’t discussed with them if it becomes a military base, but definitely there will be an analysis at some point.”
Shortly after Israel’s recognition of Somaliland on Dec. 26, Somaliland officials traveled to Israel to deepen diplomatic and security ties, according to the report.
The development comes amid escalating regional tensions involving Israel, the United States and Iran. The Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and on Israel during the Gaza conflict, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
An Israeli general told Bloomberg that a special intelligence unit had been formed to monitor the Houthis, who are believed to possess long-range rockets capable of reaching Israeli territory.
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, following the collapse of the central government. Although it has maintained relative stability and held its own elections, it has lacked broad international recognition.
Berbera, one of the reported areas under consideration, already hosts infrastructure developed by the United Arab Emirates. In 2017, Somaliland approved an Emirati agreement to establish a military facility there, and the port is operated by Dubai-based DP World.
Somalia’s federal government has previously described Israel’s recognition of Somaliland as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
