Web Desk; Houthi official has pledged retaliation against Israel following an air strike that killed the Yemeni group’s prime minister in Sanaa earlier this week.
According to a statement released on Saturday, Ahmed al-Rahawi, who served as prime minister in the Houthi-controlled administration, was killed in an Israeli strike on Thursday. The group confirmed that several other ministers also lost their lives during the attack, though it did not provide an exact number. Al-Rahawi and other officials were reportedly targeted while attending a workshop in the capital.
Mahdi al-Mashat, the chairman of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, responded in a video message, declaring that Israel would face “vengeance” and pledging that the group would turn its losses into renewed determination. “We shall forge from the depths of wounds a victory,” al-Mashat said.
The Israeli military stated that the strike had targeted what it described as “a Houthi terrorist regime military site.” The incident marks one of a series of Israeli operations against Houthi positions in recent months, coinciding with the group’s escalating campaign of attacks against Israel and international vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis say their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Only days earlier, the Houthis had claimed responsibility for launching a missile toward southern Israel, which Israeli authorities said was intercepted. Despite repeated air strikes, the group has insisted that its military activities will continue.
In its official statement, the Houthi presidency announced the “martyrdom of the mujahid Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi” alongside several of his colleagues. It further emphasized that government institutions would remain functional despite the loss of key leaders. “The blood of the martyrs will be fuel and a motivator to continue on the same path,” the statement read.
Al-Mashat also reaffirmed the Houthis’ commitment to expanding and modernizing their armed forces. He reiterated the group’s solidarity with Gaza, vowing that their support would not waver until Israel’s offensive ends and the blockade is lifted.
Reports from Israeli media, citing unnamed sources, claimed that the strike had targeted the entire Houthi cabinet, including the prime minister and twelve ministers. The overall death toll from Thursday’s attack remains uncertain.
The air raid came just four days after earlier Israeli strikes on Sanaa that killed ten people and injured more than ninety, according to Yemeni health officials. In that attack, Israel said it had targeted Houthi military sites and the presidential palace.
Regional analysts note that Israel’s strategy has shifted towards striking Houthi leadership figures, a tactic previously employed against groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has argued that conventional strikes have failed to deter the Houthis from launching attacks and that targeting leadership may disrupt their operations.
The escalation underscores the increasingly volatile regional dynamics, with the Houthis emerging as a more prominent actor in the conflict linked to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies
