Sanaa, August 30 — Yemen’s Houthi group announced on Saturday that Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi of the Houthi-backed government, along with several cabinet ministers, was killed in Israeli airstrikes on the capital Sanaa earlier this week.
In an official statement, the Houthis confirmed, “We announce the martyrdom of Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, Prime Minister of the Government of Change and Construction, along with a number of his fellow Ministers on Thursday.” The group said the officials were attending a workshop reviewing government performance when the strikes hit. Several other ministers were reportedly injured and remain hospitalized. The Houthis did not specify the number of casualties.
The group vowed that the government would continue functioning despite the loss and pledged retaliation against Israel “very soon.” Initially, Houthi officials had denied casualties from Thursday’s attack, despite reports of Rahawi’s death.
Israel later confirmed that its Air Force carried out a “significant operation” targeting a meeting of the Houthi cabinet in Sanaa, where members were watching a speech by the group’s leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, on the Gaza war. A Houthi source claimed that Israeli jets launched 10 airstrikes on the building in southern Sanaa where the meeting was taking place.
The strike represents one of the most serious blows to the Houthis since they began launching missile and drone attacks against Israel in November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza conflict.
The Houthis, who seized control of Sanaa in 2014 and forced the internationally recognized Yemeni government into exile in Aden, have since controlled much of northern Yemen, including the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. They established their own unrecognized administration in the capital and expanded military operations beyond Yemen’s borders.
Earlier this week, Israeli strikes across Sanaa killed at least 10 people and wounded over 100 others, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry. These air raids are part of a broader military response to Houthi missile and drone launches against Israel and attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
Israel, backed by a U.S.-led coalition, has intensified strikes on Houthi-held areas, including Sanaa and Hodeidah. In May, Israeli strikes disabled Sanaa airport, while reports surfaced of an understanding with the Houthis to halt attacks on Red Sea shipping. However, the rebels insisted that their campaign against what they call “Israeli-aligned targets” would continue.
The killing of Rahawi underscores the escalating confrontation between Israel and the Houthis, raising fears of further instability in Yemen and beyond.
