Yemen’s Houthi rebels vowed to escalate drone and missile strikes on Israel after confirming PM Ahmed Al-Rahawi was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Sanaa, marking the most senior Houthi official killed since the Gaza war.
The Houthi movement in Yemen has vowed to escalate its campaign of drone and missile strikes against Israel after confirming that its prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Sanaa last week. The incident marks one of the deadliest blows to the group’s leadership since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
A Leader’s Death Sparks Anger
On Saturday, the Houthis officially announced that Al-Rahawi, who had served as prime minister since last year, was killed alongside several other officials in an Israeli strike on Thursday. His death was later confirmed by the Israeli military, which said the operation had targeted a “Houthi terrorist regime military site.”
“We announce the martyrdom of the fighter Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi… along with several of his ministerial colleagues, as they were targeted by the treacherous Israeli criminal enemy,” the group declared in a statement.
According to the Houthis, Al-Rahawi and his colleagues were attending what they described as a “routine workshop” to review the government’s performance when the strike hit. Several others were reported injured.
Israel Confirms Strike on Houthi Officials
While Israel has been striking Houthi positions for months in response to their repeated attacks, this strike marked a shift in operational focus.
“Among the senior officials present at the site during the strike was the Houthi Prime Minister, Ahmed Al-Rahawi, who was eliminated in the strike, along with additional senior officials,” the Israeli army said in a statement released on Saturday.
Analysts believe this move signals a change in strategy. US-based Yemen analyst Mohammed Al Basha noted that Israel had previously targeted infrastructure such as ports and power plants. He said the latest operation “indicates a shift… toward targeted assassinations of high-value personnel.”
He added: “This operation bears the hallmarks of a signals intelligence–driven strike, and it is possible that additional senior Houthi leaders were en route to the location.”
Calls for Revenge and Escalation
The killing has provoked fiery vows of retaliation from the Houthi leadership. In a televised speech on Sunday, Abdul Malik al-Huthi, the group’s leader, said his fighters would intensify their campaign against Israel.
He declared that the group would continue “targeting Israel with missiles and drones” and promised that Israeli attacks on Yemen would not weaken their resolve.
The head of the rebels’ supreme political council, Mehdi al-Mashat, also struck a defiant tone: “We promise to God, to the dear Yemeni people and the families of the martyrs and wounded that we will take revenge.”
Mashat further warned foreign companies operating in Israel to “leave before it’s too late.”
Political Transition Amid Turmoil
Following Rahawi’s death, the rebels appointed Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ahmed Miftah as interim prime minister. His appointment reflects the group’s tradition of naming southerners to the post in an attempt to broaden its influence beyond northern Yemen.
Rahawi, originally from the southern province of Abyan, had appeared in public just a day before the strike, attending an event organised by the Houthi endowments ministry in Sanaa. His sudden death underscores the risks faced by the group’s political leadership as Israel intensifies its campaign.
The Houthis are part of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” a network of groups hostile to Israel and aligned with Tehran. Since the Gaza war broke out in late 2023, they have launched waves of drone and missile attacks against Israel, presenting themselves as defenders of the Palestinian cause.
For now, the death of Rahawi appears to have emboldened the group’s determination rather than weakened it. With vows of revenge ringing from Sanaa, the conflict between Israel and the Houthis threatens to escalate further, widening the already volatile regional war.