Houthi Prime Minister Killed in Israeli Air Strike in Sanaa

The Houthi rebel group has confirmed that their prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, has been killed following an Israeli air strike that took place in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa. The strike, which occurred on Thursday, also resulted in the deaths of several ministers and left others injured, according to a statement from the rebels.

Israel announced that the air strike was aimed at high-ranking officials of the Houthis, including their chief of staff and defense minister, and stated it was verifying the results of the operation. The Israeli military emphasized that it had targeted a military site associated with what they classified as a Houthi terrorist regime.

At the time of the strike, al-Rahawi was participating in a government workshop, where members were assessing their previous year's activities and performance. Although he had been in his role as prime minister for approximately one year, al-Rahawi was viewed more as a figurehead; his deputy, Mohamed Moftah, was considered the de facto leader and will now take over as acting prime minister.

After the confirmation of al-Rahawi's death, the Houthis released a statement from their defense minister, Mohamed al-Atifi, indicating that the group was prepared to confront Israel, though it did not specifically reference the air strike. Al-Atifi, a key figure in the Houthis' missile operations, has overseen numerous missile and drone attacks directed towards Israel, purportedly in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Despite most of these missile strikes being intercepted before reaching their intended targets, the attacks have continued unabated. Earlier in the week, Israeli forces had executed air strikes across multiple sites in Sanaa, resulting in significant casualties. In retaliation for the Houthi assaults, both Israel and a coalition led by the United States have targeted rebel-held areas in Yemen, including strategic locations like Sanaa airport, which had previously been rendered inoperable due to an earlier Israeli strike.