A senior Yemeni figure has promised that Israel’s attacks on the capital Sanaa “will not go unpunished,” amid the confirmed assassination of Yemen’s Prime Minister Ahmed Al-Rahawi.
Yemen’s Chief of Staff Muhammad Abdul Karim Al-Ghamari said on Friday that Israel’s targeting of civilian neighbourhoods in Sanaa would face harsh retaliation amid escalating attacks between Yemen and Israel.
Ghamari emphasised that Yemen would not retreat from militarily supporting the Gaza Strip, regardless of the “scale of targeting or sacrifices required.”
He characterised Israeli escalation in Gaza and Yemen as signs of failure, rather than strength, after nearly two years of attacks.
The remarks come after Israeli military announced Thursday that they assassinated senior Yemeni leaders during their strikes on Sanaa. On Saturday, the AnsarAllah group announced the martyrdom of the Prime Minister Ahmed Al-Rahawi. Other key figures are believed to have been killed as well.
A statement from the presidency office said: “We reassure our great Yemeni people and pledge to them that the government, with the help of Allah Almighty, will fulfil its role in the framework of managing affairs, and institutions will continue to provide their services to the steadfast, patient, struggling Yemeni people. It will not be affected, no matter the extent of the calamity and the blood of the great martyrs will be fuel and motivation to continue on the same path.”
Israel said the operation targeted a high-level Houthi leadership meeting based on precise intelligence, receiving approval from political leaders and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
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But Houthi media initially denied the reports of high profile assassinations on X, saying none of the news about targeting leaders in Sanaa was accurate.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets and targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 63,000 people have been killed in an Israeli genocidal war.
The latest Yemeni attack on Israel was last Thursday and before that Yemeni forces had also fired missiles on 22 August.
On Sunday, the Israeli military hit two power plants in Sanaa, just a week after it had hit the very same Haziz facility, leaving it fully out of order. At least 10 people were killed during the attack.
Israel published a statement at the time saying it had wiped out important energy infrastructure, and threatening the Houthis, stating that what happened was just the “beginning.”
Local Yemeni media has claimed that Israel is targeting civilian populated areas and has killed a significant number of women and children since beginning its attacks on Yemen.
