Israeli strike kills Houthi-run Yemeni PM, several ministers

SANAA, Yemen,— Yemen’s Houthi prime minister, Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi, and several ministers were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sanaa, the group’s political chief said Saturday, in the first confirmed strike to kill top officials from the Iran-backed movement.

Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Supreme Political Council, said the attack took place Thursday and caused multiple casualties. He gave no numbers but confirmed some were wounded.

Israel said Friday the strike aimed at senior Houthi leadership, including its defense minister and chief of staff, and that assessments were ongoing. Mashat did not confirm if Defense Minister Mohamed al-Atifi was among the dead.

Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi, who took office a year ago, was largely seen as symbolic.

His deputy, Mohammed Miftah, was appointed Saturday to perform prime ministerial duties, Houthi authorities said.

Al-Rahwi was once an ally of ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh was ousted by the Houthis in 2014, an event that led to a decade-long war splitting Yemen between Houthi rule in Sanaa and a Saudi-backed administration in Aden.

Since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023, Houthis have launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and fired missiles at Israel, saying the moves support Gazans.

Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas, including Hodeidah.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Sanaa strike was “a crushing blow” and warned “this is only the start.”

Houthi-run news agency Saba later published remarks from al-Atifi pledging to confront Israel, without mentioning the attack.

It was unclear if the statement was made before the strike. Al-Atifi heads the Houthis’ missile forces and is regarded as a key strategist.

Reuters sources said ministers of energy, foreign affairs and information were among those killed.

According to Israeli security officials, Thursday’s airstrike targeted several locations where Houthi leaders gathered to watch a recorded speech by group leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

“Our position is unchanged. We will resist until the blockade ends and aggression stops, no matter the cost,” Mashat said in his televised address, vowing retaliation.

(With files from Reuters)