The Houthis have confirmed that their self-proclaimed Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, was killed in Israeli air strikes conducted earlier this week. Alongside him, several high-ranking officials were also reported dead when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Thursday.
In its statement, the Houthi group indicated that the air strike was aimed at military targets, although the IDF did not elaborate on specific details surrounding the operations. Since 2014, the Houthis have been in control of much of north-western Yemen after displacing the internationally recognized government, leading to a prolonged and devastating civil war.
The group reported that Rahawi was among several Houthi ministers killed in the attack, which local news sources claim included the foreign minister as well as ministers overseeing justice, youth, sports, social affairs, and labor. Following the attack, the Houthis indicated that deputy prime minister Muhammad Ahmed Miftah would take over Rahawi’s duties.
Rahawi had held his prime ministerial position since August 2024. As tensions escalate since the onset of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Houthis have been active in launching retaliatory missile strikes against Israel and have attacked commercial ships in regional waters, claiming these actions are in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Israel has responded to the Houthis' actions with targeted air strikes, a tactic it has employed more frequently since the beginning of conflicts in Gaza. Earlier this month, the IDF struck Houthi targets in Sanaa in retaliation for an alleged missile attack involving cluster munitions against Israeli territory.
