Israel has admitted to carrying out an attack targeting the army chief of Yemen’s rebel government. On August 28, Israel launched multiple strikes in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Several Yemeni media outlets reported that the rebel government’s Prime Minister, Ahmed al-Rahavi, was killed in the attack.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strikes targeted both the rebel army chief and the defense minister. According to the IDF, intelligence indicated that the army chief was scheduled to meet with the defense minister, and the attack was carried out based on that intelligence. However, the Israeli military has not yet confirmed whether they were killed.
In 2015, Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. Then-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi fled to Saudi Arabia, declaring the Houthi-established government illegitimate.
Saudi Arabia, along with its coalition forces, launched massive military strikes in support of Hadi. Despite this, the Houthis could not be defeated and have continued to maintain control over Sanaa. Rahavi served as the prime minister of this rebel government.
Israel has been carrying out a campaign of drone and ballistic missile strikes against the Houthis in retaliation for the group’s frequent drone and missile attacks on Israel over its brutal offensive in Gaza. Amid this conflict, Israel has now killed the Houthis’ prime minister.
