Airstrike carried out by Israel in Sanaa claims lives of Prime Minister and cabinet members from the Houthi-led administration
In a dramatic turn of events, the prime minister of Yemen's Houthi-run government, along with several other ministers, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sanaa. The outcome of the airstrike is being verified by Israel.
The deceased prime minister, Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi, was a former ally to Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh but later joined forces with the Houthi group. Al-Rahwi was seen as a figurehead in the Houthi leadership.
The head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, announced the deaths on Saturday. In a televised speech, Mashat stated the group's stance remains unchanged until the aggression ends and the siege is lifted, and they shall take revenge.
Defence Minister Mohamed al-Atifi of the Houthis, who runs the Missiles Brigade Group and is considered their leading missiles expert, issued a statement ready to confront Israel. Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.
The Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the strike on the Houthi leaders was "a crushing blow" against the Houthis, adding that "this is only the beginning." The attack was the first such incident to kill senior Houthi officials.
Al-Rahwi, who was the prime minister of Yemen, appointed a year ago, was not the only senior Houthi official targeted. Israel stated that their airstrike targeted the Iran-aligned group's chief of staff, defence minister, and other senior officials.
Since the beginning of the Israeli war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which started in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea, describing their actions as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.
The Houthi's response to the Israeli airstrike has been fierce. Multiple journalists were killed in Israeli strikes on a hospital in Gaza, marking the second incident in two weeks. A number of others were wounded in the strike, but details were not provided by Mashat.
Two activists, Anna Hattle and Riki Fameli, were recently fired from Microsoft after participating in protests against Microsoftβs business dealings with Israel. They are associated with the "No Azure for Apartheid" group, which demands Microsoft end its support to Israel and reparations to Palestinians, criticizing Microsoft for providing cloud services allegedly used by Israeli military intelligence for surveillance in Palestinian territories.
