Israeli jets struck a high-level Houthi gathering in Sanaa, with rebels and multiple outlets confirming the death of Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several ministers—an audacious hit framed as part of Israel’s wider campaign from Iran to Lebanon to Gaza.
Israel has unleashed a thunderous blow to Iran’s proxy terror network, with reports confirming that a sweeping decapitation strike eliminated nearly the entire Houthi leadership in Yemen. Analysts suggest this operation may rival the most decisive counter-terrorist missions of the 21st century.
According to Israeli media, the IDF strike killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi along with nine cabinet ministers, two senior aides, and high-ranking military commanders, including Defense Minister Major General Mohamed al-Atifi and Chief of Staff Major General Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari. Both generals had deep ties to Iran’s IRGC and Hezbollah and were heavily sanctioned by the US, UK, and EU.
Among the dead were ministers overseeing Foreign Affairs, Justice, Economy, Agriculture, Energy, Culture, Social Affairs, and Youth & Sports—essentially gutting the Houthi’s political and military structure. Arutz Sheva reported that “all but four ministers” were eliminated in the operation.
The strike was timed with chilling precision: Israel hit an apartment complex in Sana’a where Houthi leaders had gathered to hear Abdul Malik al-Houthi’s televised speech. While the supreme leader himself is believed to have survived, many in Israeli and Arab intelligence circles now consider his rule hanging by a thread.
This decisive strike follows a series of Israeli victories:
- Joint US–Israel annihilation of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
- Targeted killings of Iran’s top nuclear scientists.
- Destruction of Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon through innovative operations.
- Neutralization of Hamas’ top command in Gaza.
- Prevention of October 7–style attacks from Hezbollah and West Bank terrorists.
The Houthis, infamous for launching missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel, pledged allegiance to Hamas after October 7. Their leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has repeatedly invoked antisemitic conspiracies, accusing a “Jewish-Zionist lobby” of global plots.
In the wake of the strike, Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, rushed to appoint Mohammed Ahmed Moftah as the new Prime Minister—a move analysts say is a desperate attempt to project stability amid chaos.
For Israel, the US, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—long targeted by Houthi terror—this operation is a strategic gamechanger. Military observers predict the Houthis’ offensive capabilities will now be crippled for years, even as questions remain over the survival of Abdul Malik al-Houthi.
As one Israeli commentator put it: “This was not just a strike. This was the beheading of a terror empire.”
