Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Houthi group admitted on Saturday that Ahmed Ghaleb Al-Rahwi, Prime Minister of the unrecognized Sana’a government, along with several of his ministers, was killed in Israeli airstrikes that targeted the Yemeni capital last Thursday evening.
In an official statement, the group said the strikes hit a routine government workshop in Sana’a, resulting in Al-Rahwi’s death along with a number of cabinet members. Other ministers sustained moderate to severe injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment, it added.
The Israeli military had announced on Friday that it carried out a large-scale air raid on Sana’a Thursday night, stating the strikes targeted a meeting of senior Houthi leaders, including the chief of staff, the defense minister, and other top commanders. It said an assessment of the operation’s outcome was still underway.
According to the military’s statement, the operation was conducted based on urgent intelligence about the convening of a high-level Houthi meeting. The strike, it said, was carried out “swiftly and directly,” while warning of “complex scenarios,” hinting at possible escalation of Houthi missile attacks against Israel.
Eyewitnesses in Sana’a reported more than ten consecutive explosions shaking several parts of the capital, including Jabal Attan in the city’s west. Activists shared images showing thick plumes of smoke rising from residential and military sites, while local sources said one of the main targets was “Beit Zabara” residence on Iran Street, south of Sana’a.
Earlier denial and threats of retaliation
Initially, Houthi leaders downplayed the impact of the strike. Media outlets affiliated with the group described the attack as a “failed act of aggression that did not achieve its goals.”
Mahdi Al-Mashat, head of the Supreme Political Council, had denied the killing of any of the group’s leaders, dismissing Israel’s account as “fabricated” and vowing retaliation, saying that “the long arm of the Houthis will teach Israel the appropriate lesson.”
However, multiple sources confirmed to Yemen Monitor that the Israeli strikes did indeed target a meeting of officials from the unrecognized Houthi government, killing several leaders, including Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Al-Rahwi.
The sources added that the meeting was not military in nature but rather a qat session attended by officials to watch a televised speech by Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi. The strike killed and wounded several other senior leaders of the group.
The airstrikes come just days after Israeli reports revealed that the government had approved an assassination plan targeting Houthi leader in Yemen, following a surge in Houthi missile and drone attacks against Israeli targets in recent months.
