Rebel group confirms, the Houthi Prime Minister was murdered in Israeli airstrikes in Sanna

The Iranian-backed group claims that Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi-controlled government in Sanaa, was murdered by Israeli bombings in Yemen.

Al-Rahawi and a number of senior ministers were murdered in a strike on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Houthis on Saturday. According to the group, the incident happened as officials were attending a training to assess how well the administration had performed in the previous year.

Since August 2024, Al-Rahawi has been the prime minister of the Houthi-led administration.

With the statement that it had “precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa in Yemen,” the Israeli military acknowledged carrying out the strike.

Throughout the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the Houthis have been among the most outspoken backers of Hamas. They have launched a number of drones and missiles at Israel in recent months, saying the strikes are in support of the Palestinians. The group has persisted with its campaign despite the fact that the majority of these projectiles have either been intercepted by Israel’s defense systems or have broken apart in midair.

At least 10 people were killed and over 100 injured in Israeli airstrikes that struck many areas in Sanaa earlier this week, according to data supplied by the Houthi-run health ministry.

The Houthis have attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea, claiming they are connected to Israel, as the fighting has spread there as well. Israel has retaliated by regularly attacking areas under Houthi control, including the capital Sanaa and the strategically important port city of Hodeida. In May, one such strike made Sanaa’s airport inoperable.

The United States and the Houthis had previously reached an agreement in May whereby airstrikes would cease provided the rebels ceased attacking ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis, however, maintained that the deal does not prevent them from targeting locations they believe to be associated with Israel.

In May, the United States had earlier declared an agreement with the Houthis that would stop bombing if the rebels ceased attacking ships in the Red Sea. But according to the Houthis, the deal did not stop them from hitting locations they believe to be associated with Israel.