SANAA – The Houthi-led government in Yemen confirmed on Saturday that its Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the capital, Sanaa. The announcement marks a significant escalation in the regional conflict, with the Houthis also claiming that several of their ministers were killed and others wounded in the attack.
In a statement released by the Houthi presidency, the group said Al-Rahwi and several of his cabinet colleagues were targeted during a government meeting on Thursday. While the Houthis initially denied reports of casualties from the strikes, the new statement confirmed their losses and referred to the officials as “martyrs.” The strike is believed to be the most senior killing of a Houthi official by Israel.
The Israeli military has not directly confirmed the deaths, but on Thursday, it stated that it had “precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa.” Israeli media outlets have reported that the entire Houthi cabinet, including the prime minister, was likely killed in the strike, although this assessment is not yet definitive.
The attack comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with the Houthis, an Iran-backed group, repeatedly firing missiles and drones at Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians. The group has also targeted international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which it claims is linked to Israel.
Following the confirmation of Al-Rahwi’s death, the Houthis have vowed retaliation against Israel, with a statement declaring that the “blood of the martyrs will be fuel and motivation to continue on this path.” Despite the significant losses, the group has sought to project business as usual, with a Houthi-affiliated news agency quoting a senior official who dismissed the Israeli escalation as “a sign of incapacity and failure.”
Al-Rahwi was appointed prime minister of the Houthi-controlled government in August 2024. His death creates a power vacuum within the group and raises concerns about the potential for further military action and a wider regional conflict.