The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Saturday that a precision airstrike last week in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, eliminated several senior members of the Houthi regime, including the group’s so-called Prime Minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi. The Israeli Air Force conducted the strike on Thursday, August 28, with targeting based on real-time intelligence from the IDF Intelligence Directorate.
According to the IDF, the facility hit in the strike was hosting dozens of top Houthi officials involved in military planning and operations against Israel. The airstrike successfully killed Rahawi, along with other high-ranking figures responsible for the Houthi regime’s force buildup and terrorist activity.
Israeli officials emphasized that the operation was executed swiftly following a short intelligence cycle. The strike marked one of the most significant blows to the Houthi leadership since the Iranian-backed militia began attacking Israeli interests during the ongoing war in Gaza. The IDF pledged continued operations to eliminate threats to Israeli civilians across all theaters of conflict, including Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen.
The Houthis later confirmed Rahawi’s death, announcing Muhammad Ahmed Miftah as his successor. Houthi political chief Mahdi al-Mashat vowed retaliation, stating that “vengeance does not sleep.”
In a separate development, Israeli media reported Sunday that Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida had been targeted in an airstrike on Gaza City. While the IDF has not officially confirmed his death, Saudi and Israeli outlets claimed that Obeida—widely seen as a symbolic figure for Hamas—was killed in the attack. Hamas has yet to confirm the report, raising speculation over his status.
These developments come amid ongoing Israeli military operations in multiple regions, aimed at dismantling terrorist infrastructure and leadership networks threatening the Jewish state.
