Yemen’s Huthi rebel faction confirmed on Saturday that their Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this week. This loss represents the highest-ranking official casualty amidst a series of strikes linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The Israeli military released a statement confirming the operation and acknowledging Rahawi’s death alongside other senior figures present at the targeted site. The attack occurred on Thursday and was reportedly aimed at a Huthi government workshop evaluating the group’s activities over the past year.

The Iran-backed Huthis have conducted numerous drone and missile attacks against Israel since the escalation of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. In response, Israel has intensified strikes on Huthi positions, citing their support for Palestinian factions in Gaza.

A Huthi statement mourned Rahawi as a martyr and condemned the strike as an act of treachery by Israel. It also reported that several other officials sustained moderate to severe injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment.

Mehdi al-Mashat, head of the Huthi Supreme Political Council, pledged revenge in a video message, warning foreign companies to evacuate Israel "before it’s too late." Following Rahawi’s death, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ahmed Miftah was appointed interim prime minister by the Huthis.

Yemen analyst Mohammed Al Basha noted a shift in Israeli tactics, highlighting a move from targeting infrastructure to eliminating high-value individuals within the Huthi leadership. He added that the strike likely relied on advanced signals intelligence and may have targeted multiple senior officials converging at the site.

Rahawi, who was appointed last year, hailed from Abyan province in southern Yemen—a region outside of Huthi control. The rebels traditionally select southerners for premiership to bolster support in that region.

This development intensifies the Iran-backed Huthis’ involvement in the regional conflict and underscores the increasing complexity and reach of the Gaza war’s impact beyond its immediate theater.