Israeli Strike Kills Yemen's Houthi Prime Minister

CAIRO — An Israeli airstrike on Yemen’s capital Sanaa has killed the prime minister of the Houthi-controlled government. Ahmed al-Rahawi is the highest-ranking leader of the movement to be killed in the US-Israeli campaign against the Iran-backed rebels.

The Houthis say the strike hit a villa in the Beit Baws neighborhood where a government meeting was taking place. Along with al-Rahawi, several ministers were killed and others were wounded. The strike coincided with a broadcast of a speech by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi promising a response to Israel.

The Israeli army confirmed the destruction of a “military facility of the Houthi terror regime” and said the meeting was attended by leaders responsible for attacks on Israel.

Al-Rahawi, originally from the southern province of Abyan and a former ally of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, joined the Houthis in 2014 after they captured Sanaa. In August 2024, he was appointed prime minister, primarily responsible for civilian governance in the controlled areas.

The death of the head of government was a serious blow to the movement, experts say. According to them, Israel has for the first time switched from striking infrastructure to targeted killing of leaders, which threatens the entire Houthi governance system.

The US and Israeli air and naval operation began in response to Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israel and on ships in the Red Sea. These attacks, according to the Houthis, are an act of "solidarity with Palestine." In two years, they have seriously disrupted global trade: more than $1 trillion worth of goods pass through the Red Sea every year.