Houthis have confirmed that an Israeli airstrike has killed the prime minister of the group’s government, Ahmed al-Rahawi, in the Yemeni capital city, Sanaa.
al-Rahawi was killed in a Thursday strike in Sanaa along with a number of ministers, the rebels said in a statement on Saturday.
Al-Rahawi, who served as prime minister to the Houthi-led government in the areas of the divided country that it controls since August 2024, was targeted along with other members of the government, who were also killed, during a routine workshop held by the government to evaluate its activities and performance over the past year, the rebels’ statement said.
The Israeli military attacked Sanaa on Thursday as tensions in the region continued to escalate amid Israel’s war on Gaza.
The Israeli military said in a statement that its forces on Thursday struck “a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa in Yemen”.
Israel has repeatedly targeted Houthi positions in recent months as the group has launched attacks on Israel and Western vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The group has repeatedly said Israeli attacks on Yemen will not deter the Houthis’ military operations in support of Palestinians.
Thursday’s attack came four days after Israeli strikes on Sanaa killed 10 people and wounded more than 90, according to health officials.
The Israeli military said that on Sunday it targeted Houthi military sites, including the presidential palace.
On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on southern Israel, which Israel said it intercepted.
The Yemeni group controls large parts of Yemen, which has been gripped by war since 2014.
