The prime minister of Yemen's Houthi rebel government, Ahmed al-Rahawi, has been killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes on the capital Sana'a. The strikes, which hit key military targets, have inflicted further casualties on the senior leadership of the Iran-backed Shiite militia.
According to local sources, Al Rahawi was killed in his apartment along with several close associates, during a precision bombing by Israeli forces. Israeli authorities announced that it is believed that the Houthi Defense Minister, Mohamed al-Atifi, and the Chief of General Staff of the rebel forces, who were in a location on the outskirts of the capital, were among those killed.
The attacks coincided with a predicted speech by Houthi supreme leader Abdul Malik al Houthi, however, according to Israeli authorities, he was not in the affected areas.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who approved the operation along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the army chief of staff, General Eyal Zamir, stated that it was a direct response to Houthi attacks on Israel and international targets in the region.
"As we warned, whoever lays a hand on Israel will have their hands cut off," Katz said in an official statement.
Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officials confirmed that the strike targeted "Yemen's military terrorist regime."
The Houthi rebels, who control most of northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sana'a and access to the Red Sea, have launched sustained missile and drone attacks against Israel and international shipping since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in October 2023. These actions have been presented by the rebels as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, there is still no official reaction from the Houthi leadership on the death of Al Rahawi and other senior officials.
