Yemen’s Houthis say Israeli airstrike killed prime minister of rebel-controlled government

An Israeli airstrike killed the prime minister of Yemen’s rebel-controlled government, the Iran-backed Houthi militant group said Saturday.

Ahmed al-Rawahi was killed Thursday alongside other ministers during a strike on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, the rebels said in a statement.

“We declare the martyrdom of the fighter Ahmed Ghalib Al-Rahawi, Prime Minister in the Government of Change and Construction, along with a number of his fellow ministers,” it said.

Al-Rahawi, who had served as prime minister to the Houthi-led government since 2024, was killed during a government workshop evaluating “its activities and performance during a year of its work,” the statement added.

The Israeli military said Thursday it “precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa in Yemen.”

The Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles at Israel during its war with Hamas, framing their attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping as part of an allied defense of Palestinians in Gaza.

In response to Houthi attacks, Israel has bombarded rebel-held areas in Yemen.