An Israeli airstrike earlier this week reportedly killed Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi-run government, along with several other ministers. The Houthis claimed al-Rahawi was targeted during a Thursday strike on Sanaa, where he was participating in a workshop with other officials. The group did not disclose how many additional ministers were killed but stated that several others sustained injuries. Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, vowed retaliation, declaring, “We shall take vengeance, and we shall forge from the depths of wounds a victory.”

Israel’s military confirmed it struck a “Houthi terrorist regime military target” in Sanaa, citing intelligence about a gathering. The attack occurred amid escalating regional tensions linked to Israel’s conflict in Gaza. The Houthis have repeatedly launched attacks on Israeli and Western vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which they frame as support for Palestinians.

Al-Rahawi, who served as prime minister in Houthi-controlled areas since August 2024, was described as a symbolic figure rather than a key decision-maker. Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the movement’s leader, and other top officials were not reported among the casualties. The Houthi deputy prime minister, Muhammad Ahmed Miftah, will assume al-Rahawi’s role. Israel stated it was still evaluating the strike’s full impact.