A powerful Israeli airstrike in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, has reportedly killed Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi movement, along with several senior officials.
The strike, carried out on Thursday, August 28, 2025, is being described as one of the most significant blows to the group’s leadership in recent years.
According to Yemeni media reports, Defence Minister Mohamed al-Atifi was also among those killed in the strike.
However, Israel has not officially confirmed the death of the Houthi prime minister.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that their operation specifically targeted the group’s senior leadership.
Political sources cited by Israel’s Channel 13 described the outcome of the strike as “positive.”
Similarly, Ynet reported that “the assessment that the entire military and governmental elite of the Houthis was eliminated in the attack is growing.”
Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed that intelligence teams provided real-time information about the meeting of Houthi leaders.
This enabled Israeli forces to strike despite heavy air defenses in the area.
“The direction of assessments is positive, it seems the attack succeeded,” one political source noted.
The news of Ahmed al-Rahawi’s reported death comes just weeks after Israeli forces were accused of another deadly strike in Gaza.
On August 11, 2025, Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif and four of his colleagues were killed in an Israeli attack.
Al-Sharif left behind his wife, Bayan Khalid, and two children, Salah and Sham.
The IDF has framed both strikes as part of its broader mission to dismantle hostile groups aligned with Iran.
Houthis, who have openly declared hostility against Israel since October 7, have increasingly become a focus of Israeli military campaigns.
Although the Houthis have not yet issued a formal statement, Yemeni outlets are widely reporting the deaths as confirmed.
The IDF, however, emphasized that “the results of the operation are still being reviewed,” and further assessments will be released after complete verification.
