Top Houthi Officials Killed in Israeli Airstrike

In a statement from Mahdi al-Mashat, the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, the news agency run by the group confirmed on Saturday that the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi government and several other ministers were killed in an Israeli strike on the capital, Sanaa. The news agency reported that the strike on Thursday also wounded a number of other individuals, without providing further details.

On Friday, Israel stated that the airstrike had targeted the Iran-aligned group’s chief of staff, defense minister, and other senior officials, adding that it was verifying the results. Mashat’s statement did not clarify whether the Houthi defense minister was among the casualties. Shortly after confirming the prime minister’s death, the Houthi-run news agency ran a statement from the defense minister, who said the group was prepared to confront Israel. It was not clear whether this statement was made before or after the attack.

Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi had been prime minister for nearly a year, but the de facto leader of the government was his deputy, Mohamed Moftah, who was assigned on Saturday to carry out the prime minister’s duties. Rahwi was widely seen as a figurehead not belonging to the inner circle of Houthi leadership. The defense minister, Mohamed al-Atifi, leads the Houthi’s Missiles Brigade Group and is considered their top missiles expert.

The Israeli military announced that its fighter jets had struck a compound in Sanaa where senior Houthi figures had gathered, describing the attack as a “complex operation” enabled by intelligence and air superiority. On Thursday, Israeli security sources had said the targets were various locations where a large number of senior Houthi officials had convened to watch a televised speech by leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

Since the war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea, which they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians. They have also frequently fired missiles toward Israel, with most being intercepted. In response, Israel has carried out strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the critical Hodeidah port. Over the past year, Israel has carried out a series of assassinations of top leaders and commanders from Hamas and Hezbollah, which have significantly weakened both groups. In his statement, Mahdi al-Mashat said, “We remain steadfast in our genuine position of supporting and standing with the people of Gaza, and in building and developing the capabilities of our armed forces to confront all challenges and dangers.”

Source: Reuters