According to a report by The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, Sep 4, 2025, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on Thursday that at least 12 senior Houthi leaders were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, last week. The strikes, carried out by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), marked the first time Israel has publicly acknowledged eliminating senior figures within the Iran-backed group.
The military released aerial images of the targeted site, while Houthi officials themselves confirmed heavy losses. Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, announced that Houthi Prime Minister Ahmad Ghalib al-Rahawi was among those killed, along with several cabinet members.
According to Israeli security sources cited by Army Radio, at least eight additional senior Houthi officials were also killed. In total, the list of casualties includes 11 ministers: Culture and Tourism Minister Ali Qasem Hussein al-Yafe’i, Foreign Minister Jamal Ahmed Ali Amer, Information Minister Hashem Ahmed Abdulrahman Sharaf al-Din, Justice Minister Mujahid Ahmed Abdullah Ali, Welfare and Labor Minister Samir Mohammed Ahmed Baja’alah, Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Ahmed Ali al-Muwallad, Electricity and Energy Minister Ali Saif Mohammed Hassan Shar, Industry and Trade Minister Maeen Hashem Ahmed al-Mahakhar, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Rajwan Ali Ali al-Rubaie, as well as government chief of staff Mohammed al-Qubaisi and cabinet secretary Zahad al-Amadi.
Despite the scale of the operation, the group’s top leadership including Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, its defense minister, military chief, and interior minister escaped the strikes. Reports suggest they may have been en route to the gathering when the airstrike took place.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz responded defiantly to continued Houthi missile launches against Israel, invoking the Biblical plagues of Egypt. “The Houthis are firing missiles at Israel again. The plague of darkness, the plague of the firstborn—we will complete all ten plagues,” Katz wrote on X.
Over the past week, the Houthis have launched three ballistic missiles and five drones toward Israel. According to the IDF, none reached their targets, with most intercepted or misfired. Two drones were shot down on Thursday alone. While no Israeli casualties have been reported since July 2024, repeated alerts have forced millions into shelters, disrupting daily life.
The IDF revealed that some of the missiles carried cluster munitions, marking the first confirmed use of such weapons by the Houthis during the war. Though less destructive in direct impact than traditional ballistic missiles, cluster munitions pose a broader risk because they fragment into multiple smaller explosives. An August 22 missile of this type caused minor impacts in Israel after air defenses failed to intercept it, though no casualties occurred.
Israel has previously targeted Houthi infrastructure in Hodeidah and Sanaa, but the killing of multiple senior officials signals a significant escalation in its campaign to deter the group’s attacks. Whether these strikes will succeed in weakening the Houthis’ resolve remains uncertain, as the group continues to launch missiles despite mounting losses
