Israeli airstrike kills Houthi Prime Minister in Yemen’s capital

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels announced on Saturday that an Israeli airstrike in the capital, Sanaa, has killed Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of their rebel-controlled government, along with several other ministers.

The strike, which occurred on Thursday during a government workshop, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict tied to Israel’s war in Gaza.

According to a detailed report from NPR, the airstrike targeted a routine evaluation session assessing the Houthi government’s performance over the past year.

The Israeli military confirmed the operation, stating it had “precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa in Yemen.”

This incident follows a series of Israeli attacks on Houthi positions, including strikes earlier in the week that killed at least 10 people and wounded 102 others, as reported by the Houthi-run health ministry.

Al Jazeera’s coverage highlights that the Houthis have vowed such attacks will not deter their military operations in support of Palestinians, amid repeated launches of missiles and drones toward Israel and disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The group has framed these actions as solidarity with Gaza, where Israel’s offensive against Hamas continues.

Israel, in coordination with a U.S.-led coalition, has responded with airstrikes on key Houthi-held sites, including Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida.

The Washington Post notes the Houthis’ control over Sanaa and their Iranian backing, underscoring the broader regional dynamics involving proxy conflicts.

In May, the Trump administration brokered a deal with the Houthis to halt airstrikes in exchange for ceasing attacks on shipping, though the agreement did not cover operations against Israeli-aligned targets, per NPR.

The death of al-Rahawi could further strain efforts toward de-escalation in Yemen, where the civil war has persisted since 2014, displacing millions and creating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.