Yemen’s Houthi movement has confirmed the death of its self-proclaimed Prime Minister, Ahmed Galeb Nasser al-Rahawi, following an Israeli air strike earlier this week.
The Iran-backed group stated that several other senior officials were also killed when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Thursday.
At the time, the IDF reported that it had struck a Houthi “military target” in the Sanaa area, without providing further details.
The Houthis have maintained control over much of north-western Yemen since 2014, after ousting the internationally recognized government from Sanaa, an event that precipitated a devastating civil war.
The Houthis indicated that Rahawi was killed alongside several ministers, though specific names were not disclosed.
Saudi Arabian news outlet al-Hadath reports that the Houthis’ foreign minister, as well as the ministers for justice, youth and sports, social affairs, and labour, were among those killed.
The office of Mahdi al-Mashat, the Houthis’ president, indicated that several other ministers “sustained moderate and serious injuries” as a result of the strike.
It was further stated that Muhammad Ahmed Miftah, the Houthi deputy prime minister, would assume Rahawi’s responsibilities.
Rahawi had held his post since August 2024 and was largely considered a figurehead of the movement, rather than a key decision-maker in the planning of military operations.
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the movement’s leader, as well as the group’s defense minister and chief of staff, were not reported to be among the casualties in Thursday’s attack.
The IDF has yet to issue a public statement regarding the latest developments.
Since the onset of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis have regularly launched missiles at Israel and targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, asserting these actions are in solidarity with the Palestinians.
In response, Israel has conducted air strikes on targets in Houthi-held parts of Yemen, with the stated objective of curtailing Houthi attacks.
The UK attributes the Israeli escalation to the Gaza war; however, Israel has characterized this as discrimination.
Newly released footage indicates that Israel carried out two more strikes on hospitals than initially reported.
The Israeli military has declined to comment on reports of the strikes, which have been condemned by Syria.
Palestinian journalists are providing the BBC with first-hand accounts of the hardships and dangers they face while reporting on the war.
An initial Israeli military report states that the attack targeted a “Hamas camera” and identified “gaps” requiring further investigation.