The prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi government and several other ministers were killed in an Israeli strike on the capital Sana’a, the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council said yesterday, in the first such attack to kill senior officials.
A number of others were wounded in Thursday’s strike, Mahdi Al Mashat added, without providing details.
Israel said on Friday that the air strike had targeted the Iran-aligned group’s chief of staff, defence minister and other senior officials and that it was verifying the outcome.
Mashat’s statement did not make clear whether the Houthi defence minister was among the casualties.
Ahmad Ghaleb Al Rahawi became prime minister around a year ago but the de facto leader of the government was his deputy, Mohamed Moftah, who was assigned yesterday to carry out the prime minister’s duties.
Al Rahawi was seen largely as a figurehead who was not part of the inner circle of the Houthi leadership.
Since Israel’s war in Gaza against Hamas began in October 2023, Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.
They have also frequently fired missiles towards Israel, most of which have been intercepted. Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.
During the last year, Israel carried out a series of assassinations targeting senior leaders and commanders of Hamas and its Lebanese ally Hizbollah, significantly weakening both groups.
The Houthi-run news agency Saba ran a statement from Defence Minister Mohamed Al Atifi shortly after the prime minister’s death was confirmed and quoted him as saying the group was ready to confront Israel.
Atifi runs the Houthis’ Missiles Brigade Group and is considered their leading missiles expert.
Sources confirmed to Reuters that the energy, foreign and information ministers were among those killed.
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