Israeli Strike Kills Houthi Prime Minister in Sanaa, Militants Vow Retaliation Amid Gaza Conflict

The Houthis said Saturday that an Israeli airstrike killed the prime minister of their militant-controlled government in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa — the highest-ranking Houthi official to die in the ongoing Israeli-US campaign against the Iranian-backed group.

According to a Houthi statement, Prime Minister Ahmed Al-Rahawi was killed Thursday in Sanaa along with several ministers, while others were wounded. The premier and his colleagues had been attending what the group described as a “routine workshop” to review government performance over the past year.

The strike coincided with a broadcast of a pre-recorded speech by Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, the group’s secretive leader, who vowed retaliation against Israel while updating followers on the Gaza conflict. Senior officials had reportedly gathered to watch the address.

The Israeli military said Thursday it had carried out a “precise strike on a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa,” but offered no immediate comment on Saturday’s announcement of Al-Rahawi’s death.

Al-Rahawi, originally from the southern province of Abyan, was once an ally of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh before siding with the Houthis after they seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen in 2014. He was appointed prime minister in August 2024.

His death marks the most significant Houthi loss since the US and Israel launched joint air and naval operations in response to the group’s missile and drone attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have framed their maritime campaign as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Their strikes have disrupted a vital global trade corridor that handles about $1 trillion in goods annually.

In May, the Trump administration announced a deal with the Houthis to halt airstrikes in exchange for an end to attacks on shipping. The group, however, insisted the agreement did not prevent it from continuing to target entities it deems aligned with Israel.