According to Reuters, on August 30 local time, the Houthi armed forces in Yemen issued a statement saying that Ahmed Rahawi, the head of the organization's administrative branch, was killed in an Israeli air strike on the Yemeni capital Sana'a on the 28th. A number of "government ministers" were killed and many others were injured and sought medical treatment. The group said it would "retaliate" against Israel.
Mahdi Mashat, chairman of the Houthi armed "Supreme Political Committee", said in a television speech that it was the first time such an attack killed senior Houthi officials and that Rahabi was meeting with other officials at the time of the airstrike.
Mashat said that the Houthi armed forces in Yemen "will retaliate" and "our position remains unchanged and will remain until the aggression ends and the blockade is lifted, no matter how big the challenge is."
On June 22, local time, Ahmed Rahabi delivered a speech at a press conference. Vision of China
The Israeli Defence Forces issued a statement on the evening of the 30th confirming that the Israeli army attacked a gathering of senior Houthi armed officials in the Sanaa region on the 28th, with senior officials present including Rahabi and several senior Houthi armed leaders.
Israel said on the 29th that the targets of the airstrike included the Houthi "chief of general staff", "defense minister" and other senior officials, and was verifying the results of the attack. The Israeli army described the attack as a "complex operation" that benefited from intelligence gathering and air superiority.
Sources told Reuters that Yemen's Houthi "energy minister", "foreign minister" and "information minister" were among those killed.
Reuters reported that Rahavi is not a central figure in the Houthi leadership. Rahavi became the head of the Houthi administration about a year ago, but the actual leader of the Houthi administration is Deputy Director Mohammad Mifta, who was appointed by the Houthis on the 30th local time to replace Rahavi.
Israeli Defence Minister Katz said on Monday that the Israeli Defence Forces had carried out a "unprecedented heavy strike on senior Houthi armed officials" two days ago, saying the Israeli attack on Yemen that led to the deaths of the head of the Houthi armed administration and several other senior leaders was "just the beginning."
Since the outbreak of a new Gaza conflict in October 2023, Houthis have attacked Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Houthis have also repeatedly used missiles and drones to attack Israeli targets, while Israel has repeatedly launched airstrikes on Houthis-controlled areas.
At present, the Houthi armed forces control western and northern Yemen, including the capital Sana'a, and actually perform government functions such as administrative management. However, the administrative institutions established by the Houthi armed forces have not been recognized by the broad international community led by the United Nations. The currently internationally recognized Yemeni government is located in the temporary capital of Aden.
Previous report: Yemen's Houthi armed forces confirmed that the "Prime Minister" and several "government ministers" were killed in Israeli air strikes