Yemen’s Houthis confirm PM, ministers killed in Israeli strike
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/30/yemens-houthis-confirm-israeli-airstrike-killed-the-groups-prime-minister
A statement from the Houthi group in Yemen has confirmed reports that the PM of the areas controlled by the group, Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, was killed in Israeli air strikes on Thursday.
The politician was killed along with an unspecified number of his cabinet ministers while holding a routine meeting in the capital, Sanaa, the Houthi presidency said.
🔴عاجل🔴
رئاسة الجمهورية اليمنية: نعلن استشهاد المجاهد أحمد غالب الرهوي رئيس الوزراء في حكومة التغيير والبناء مع عدد من رفاقه الوزراء يوم الخميس الماضي pic.twitter.com/sSpIqTukkn
— قناة المسيرة (@TvAlmasirah) August 30, 2025
Translation: Yemeni Presidency: We announce the martyrdom of the mujahid Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, prime minister of the Government of Change and Construction, along with several of his fellow ministers, on Thursday.
Houthis signal defiance after assassination of government officials
The political arm of the Houthis emphasised its government and institutions are still capable of carrying out duties after members of the cabinet were assassinated by Israel.
“The blood of the great martyrs will be fuel and a motivator to continue on the same path,” the Houthi presidency said in its statement.
“We affirm to our great Yemeni people, to the sons of the oppressed Palestinian people, to all the sons of our nation, and to all the free people in the world, that we are continuing in our original stance in supporting and aiding the sons of Gaza, and building our armed forces and developing their capabilities to confront all challenges and dangers, as is the stance of our great Yemeni people, present in all fields and arenas with all determination, will, and faith.”
On Friday, Israeli media reported, quoting unnamed sources, that the Israeli army attacked the entire Houthi cabinet, including the prime minister and 12 other ministers, who were all likely killed in Thursday’s strikes on Sanaa.
The Houthis have not confirmed the total number of those killed.
Israeli officials say the military will continue to target the Houthis
Israeli officials released a statement saying they did, in fact, target the Houthi leadership, and that they were going to continue to [bomb] Houthi-related targets.
This means that anything that could be used militarily or politically by the rebel group is a target for the Israelis, given the attacks that the Houthis have carried out on Israel via missiles and drones.
The defence minister, Israel Katz, had previously noted that Israel’s strikes on Yemen weren’t really doing enough to deter the group from launching these attacks, so that they wanted to change course, meaning that he wanted to target their leadership, similar to what Israel has done with assassinations within other political groups across the region: Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The strikes on Thursday would mark the 16th time in the last couple of years that the Israelis have carried out these air raids on Yemeni territory.
Israel’s defence minister threatens Iran, says Yemen strikes ‘only the beginning’
Defence Minister Israel Katz claims Thursday’s air strikes on Sanaa delivered “an unprecedented crushing blow” to the top echelons of the military and political leadership of the Houthis in Yemen.
He praised the strikes that killed the Houthi prime minister and cabinet members in a post on X.
“The fate of Yemen is the same as the fate of Tehran – and this is only the beginning.”
Israeli Army Radio has quoted unnamed military sources as claiming that in addition to the prime minister, the Houthi casualties also included the head of the political bureau, government chief of staff and secretary, and five ministers. The Houthis have not confirmed how many people were killed.
