YEMEN: Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has confirmed that its appointed Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this week, BBC reported.

The Iran-backed faction stated that several high-ranking officials also died when Israeli fighter jets struck a gathering in the capital, Sanaa, on Thursday.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Rahawi and other senior Houthi leaders were “eliminated” in the strike. The Houthis have controlled large areas of north-western Yemen since they overthrew the internationally recognized government in Sanaa in 2014, igniting a prolonged civil war.

While the Houthis confirmed Rahawi’s death along with several unnamed ministers, Saudi-based outlet al-Hadath reported that the foreign minister and ministers of justice, youth and sports, social affairs, and labour were among the dead.

The office of Houthi President Mahdi al-Mashat said other ministers were seriously or moderately injured, according to BBC.

Following Rahawi’s death, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ahmed Miftah has been named as his successor. Rahawi, who held the position since August 2024, was largely seen as a symbolic leader rather than a central figure in the group’s military operations.

Top Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi and other key military leaders were not reported to be among the casualties. The IDF said the strike was launched within hours of receiving intelligence and that it is still evaluating the outcome.

Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Houthis have frequently targeted Israel with missile attacks and disrupted shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming support for Palestinians. Israel has responded with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas to deter such actions.