On October 16, the Houthi armed forces issued a brief death message: Their army’s Chief of Staff, General Gamali, died of excessive treatment due to his injuries.
This news may seem bland on the surface, but behind it lies a thrilling transnational military operation.
The name Gamari may be unfamiliar to many people, Within the Houthi armed forces, his position is second only to the organization's top leader, Houthi himself.
As the military brain of the Houthi armed forces, Gamali controls almost all of the armed forces of the organization.
He was officially appointed commander-in-chief in 2021, before He served as Chief of Staff for a decade.
The death of the military commander was not an accident, but a continuation of the "Millennial Run" operation a few months ago.
At that time, Israeli intelligence agencies obtained accurate intelligence from the Houthi armed high-level meeting, with a precision-guided weapon crossing hundreds of kilometers directly targeting the meeting site.
The airstrike killed the hypocritical Yemeni prime minister and several hypocritical ministers appointed by the Houthi armed forces on the spot, and Kamali suffered fatal injuries to his body, although he managed to escape from the death row.
Gamari's military career can be said to be the epitome of the development and growth of the Houthi armed forces.
Since 2015, he has been the organization One of the most important military decision makers.
Under his command, the Houthi armed forces developed from a local armed force to a regional military force capable of threatening international navigation.
The international community has long recognized the importance of this man.
The United Nations Security Council specifically launched a sanctions resolution against Gamari, and the five permanent members of China, the United States, Russia, Britain and France reached a rare agreement on this issue.
The US Treasury Department and several European countries have imposed separate sanctions on him.On the grounds that he broke the peace agreement reached between the Yemeni government and the opposition on November 23, 2011.
Gamari also has a special identity: He is one of the officials with the closest ties to Iran in the top Houthi armed forces.
It is through this relationship that the Houthi armed forces have received a large number of advanced weapons and technical support, including anti-ship missiles and drones that scare the Red Sea Channel.
Gamali's death brought about a series of chain reactions.
The most obvious change is The frequency of Houthi attacks on Israel has dropped significantly.
Missiles and drones flew from Yemen to Israel almost every day, and now the attack has become fragmented and scattered.
But here's the thing. The hijacking of the Red Sea waterway, which has plagued global trade for months, has also decreased significantly.
Commercial ships hanging national flags could finally pass through this important waterway relatively safely.
Insurers' maritime shipping premiums have started to pull back, and tensions in global supply chains have eased.
At the diplomatic level, There has also been a subtle change in the attitude of the Houthi armed forces on the ceasefire in Gaza.
In the past, they have always claimed to “fight together with the Palestinian people to the end,” but are now beginning to release signals of willingness to consider a ceasefire.
The incident also exposed the huge military power gap between the Houthis and Israel.
Israel's precise intelligence gathering capabilities and long-range strike capabilities have made people re-understand the military level of this small country in the Middle East.
In contrast, the United States and Saudi Arabia, which have been at war with Houthi for many years, have failed to achieve similar results.
The US military has deployed a large number of advanced ships and fighter jets in the Red Sea region, and Saudi Arabia has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in military spending, but it has never been able to effectively curb the activities of the Houthi armed forces.
The success of Israel's operation has embarrassed these two military powers to some extent.
The Houthis have little ability to effectively retaliate against Israel.
Although their missiles and drones are huge in number, they seem powerless in the face of Israel's advanced air defense system.
This asymmetrical military posture forced the Houthi armed forces to reassess the risk of continued provocation.
Camari’s death marks a major defeat for the anti-Israel axis in the Middle East.
Losing such an experienced military commander would inevitably affect the operational capabilities of the Houthi armed forces.
More importantly, the incident sent a clear signal to all anti-Israel armed groups: Israel has the ability and determination to strike precisely against any threat.
Iran has maintained a rare low profile on this incident.
As a major supporter of the Houthi armed forces, Tehran is clearly reluctant to incite a larger military strike on Israel for retaliation.
This restraint itself illustrates the deterrent effect of the Israeli operation.
As the war in Gaza approaches its end, Israel is likely to put more energy into operations against the Houthis.
For the Houthi armed forces, the wisest choice may be to avoid further military provocations and instead seek legitimacy in Yemen through political channels.
This incident gave us a new understanding of the form of modern warfare.
Israel's ability to accurately strike targets across thousands of miles reflects not only its technological advantages, but also its overall leadership in intelligence collection and analysis capabilities.
As the military core of the Houthi armed forces, Camari’s death would indeed cause irreparable losses to the entire organization.
From a humanitarian perspective, the loss of any life is regrettable.
Given the geopolitical realities, the event could indeed contribute to stabilizing the situation in the Red Sea region.
After all, ordinary merchant ships and innocent crew members should not fall prey to regional conflicts.
The choice now facing the Houthis is clear: Either continue to confront Israel and take greater risks, or adjust strategies to focus on Yemen’s internal affairs.
From a rational perspective, the latter is obviously a better choice.
Source of information:
·United Nations Security Council Resolution Document-Official Resolution Record on International Sanctions on Gamari
· U.S. Treasury Sanctions List-Official announcement document adding Gamari to the sanctions list
Official declaration by the Houthi Armed Forces – Official declaration of the death of Gamali on 16 October 2025
Israeli Defence Forces Operations Report – Record of Military Operations for Precision Attacks on Houthis
Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Yemen-Official Position Paper on the Implementation of the 2011 Peace Agreement
Official Decision Document for European Countries Implementing Sanctions on Camry
International Maritime Organization Report - Official Statistics on Changes in the Safety of the Red Sea Route