Netanyahu boasts of 'fatal blow' to Houthis after group's prime minister killed

Israeli leader says it is 'just the beginning' of strikes on rebels' chiefs

Houthi fighters take part in a protest against Israel in Sanaa on Friday. EPA

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded Israel’s attack on Yemen’s capital Sanaa that killed the prime minister of the Houthis and other senior officials, calling it a “fatal blow” to the group, which has launched consistent attacks on Israel since the beginning of the Gaza war.

“We are doing what no one has done before us, and this is just the beginning of the blows to the senior officials in Sanaa – we will reach everyone,” Mr Netanyahu said, adding that the strike hit the group while they were watching a speech by the Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al Houthi.

The Houthis launch weekly missile attacks on Israel, which rarely cause damage but have spooked foreign airlines and forced Israel to use precious interceptor missiles that have been steadily depleted since the beginning of the Gaza war. The group has also attacked shipping in the Red Sea. It says these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

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The killing of so many senior leaders in a single strike points to Israel’s growing intelligence capabilities in Yemen, which before the attacks of October 7, 2023, had not been a priority in the face of seemingly greater dangers posed by Iran and its proxies closer to Israel. The lack of good intelligence has meant Israel has been able to launch militarily complex raids against infrastructure sites, but less so against the group’s secretive leadership.

Thursday’s strike does not appear to have killed officials who oversee attacks on Israel – in particular the group’s chief of staff, reportedly the main target of the bombing, and the defence minister. Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, reported on Sunday that Israel held its weekly cabinet meeting at a secure location following the attack.

Houthi soldiers on patrol during a protest against Israel in Sanaa. EPA

The death of the prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Al Rahwi, was announced by the Houthis on Saturday. He has been replaced by his deputy, Mohammed Miftah.

The group has vowed revenge. “We promise to God, to the dear Yemeni people and the families of the martyrs and wounded that we will take revenge," the head of the group's supreme political council, Mehdi Al Mashat, said in a video message posted on Telegram.

Yoel Guzansky, senior researcher at Israeli think tank INSS, described the strike as “remarkable”.

“We cannot take for granted a successful attack on a target 2,000km from Israel that was not on Israel’s map of threats before October 7,” he said. “Unfortunately, the chief of staff was not there, but Israel will be looking for him. At least he’s on the run and the Houthis are learning that there is a price to pay for targeting Israel.”

A display of Houthi-made mock missiles and drones on a square in Sanaa. EPA

“If you’re on the run all the time it means you can’t operate as you want. The deaths could also affect the group internally.”

Mr Guzansky said the attacks are unlikely to hamper the group’s missile attacks on Israel: “We didn’t kill the people we wanted to. The attacks also cannot change the motivation of the Houthis to keep attacking, which is the most difficult thing to change.”