Yemen’s Houthi movement has confirmed that its prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the capital, Sanaa.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Houthis said al-Rahawi died on Thursday along with several ministers while attending a government workshop to assess the administration’s performance over the past year. Al-Rahawi had been serving as prime minister of the Houthi-led government since August 2024 in areas under the group’s control.
The Israeli military said its forces struck what it described as “a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa in Yemen” on Thursday. The strike comes amid growing regional tensions linked to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
Over recent months, Israel has intensified its attacks on Houthi positions. The group has carried out multiple missile and drone strikes against Israel and Western vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, declaring its actions as support for Palestinians in Gaza.
Despite the assassination of its senior leadership, the Houthis vowed to continue their operations. In its statement, the group’s political wing insisted that its government institutions remain functional. “The blood of the great martyrs will be fuel and a motivator to continue on the same path,” the Houthi presidency said, reported Al Jazeera.
