IDF officials confirmed Friday that Thursday’s airstrike near southern Sanaa targeted senior Houthi leaders including chief of staff Mohammed Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari and several Yemeni ministers reportedly en route to a meeting.
Military officials said the strike took advantage of a “narrow intelligence window” for a precise operation but emphasized that information remains partial and there is no intelligence indicating imminent Houthi retaliation.
Israel strikes in Sanaa
(Video: Defense Ministry)
The operation, dubbed Drop of Luck, relied on real-time intelligence and was conducted at significant distance from the target by a joint intelligence and air force team. The decision was approved by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Israel Katz in consultation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The strike came hours after Israel intercepted two drones launched toward its territory by the Houthis and coincided with a speech by the group’s leader Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi. Residents in Sanaa described powerful explosions with one telling Ynet it “felt as if it came from underground.” Reuters reported the strikes targeted the presidential compound, which housed an operations room and missile storage, while IDF officials said it struck a single target.
Israel is still assessing whether the strike killed Defense Minister Mohammed al-Atefi and chief of staff al-Ghamari. A previous attempt to eliminate al-Ghamari during the 12-day war with Iran in June failed.
Anti-Houthi sources in Aden reported that Ahmed Galib al-Rahwi, the Houthis’ prime minister, was killed in the strikes. The Houthis have not confirmed his death. Al-Rahwi held no role in military operations and his death reportedly has no impact on Houthi military or political activities.
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Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, Houthi leader; Yahya Sarea, senior Houthi official; Mohammed Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari, Houthi chief of staff; Mahdi al-Mashat, Houthi political leader
The strike reportedly involved multiple missiles fired at the same underground site in a method similar to previous assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders. While IDF officials maintain it hit a single target, some Israeli sources cited by Reuters said several targets were struck over minutes.
Houthi leader al-Houthi, 46, remains a difficult target delivering weekly speeches via video and reportedly hiding in mountain caves to avoid direct contact with foreign visitors.
Senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said Thursday night that Yemen is “ready for a long struggle with the occupation” and will continue military support for Gaza despite the Israeli strike. Other Houthi leaders echoed the message denying that senior officials were killed.
IDF officials said they will continue operations to disrupt Houthi assets and trade while preparing for potential retaliation even as no immediate threat has been identified.