Yemen’s Houthi leadership confirmed Saturday for the first time that Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with several ministers during a government meeting in Sanaa.
In a statement, the Houthi presidency said it was “mourning a new group of martyrs, including national leaders, amid the battle with the Israeli entity.” It said additional ministers were seriously and moderately wounded, but insisted the government would continue to function and provide services. “The institutions will not be harmed, no matter the scale of the disaster,” it said.
1 View gallery
Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahwi, Houthi chief of staff Muhammad Abd Al-Karim al-Ghamari
The statement included a vow of retaliation. “The blood of the martyrs will be fuel and motivation to continue on this path,” the Houthis said. “We promise our people, the Palestinian people and the entire Ummah that we will remain steadfast in our support for Gaza, continue to build our forces and develop our capabilities to face all challenges and dangers.”
The IDF said Friday it assessed that al-Rahwi and several ministers had been killed in the strike on Sanaa, while Houthi chief of staff Muhammad Abd Al-Karim al-Ghamari remained missing under the rubble and was also believed dead. However, al-Ghamari was quoted Saturday by the Houthi-affiliated SABA news agency as dismissing the escalation against Yemen as “a sign of incapacity and failure after nearly two years of operations.” Israeli officials said their assessment had not changed.
Despite the losses, the Houthis sought to project business as usual, launching another ballistic missile toward Israel overnight that was intercepted far from Israeli territory.
The Yemeni anti-Houthi site Defense Line reported that the group imposed heavy security around the Haddah district, west of the presidential complex in Sanaa, where the strike was said to have taken place. The area hosts diplomatic missions and residences of senior Houthi leaders, some of which were seized from rivals. According to the report, the Houthis also launched new arrests and interrogations of citizens accused of “collaborating with the aggression.”
The IDF described the strike as a complex operation, based on rapidly emerging intelligence, aimed at eliminating the Houthi leadership. The plan was quickly approved by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“This was a precise action exploiting a narrow intelligence window,” the army said, noting that the strike was carried out at long range by an Air Force unit with Military Intelligence support. Israel said it is preparing for possible retaliation from Yemen but currently has no specific warning of imminent attacks.