The Houthi rebel group in Yemen has warned of retaliation following the death of the prime minister during an Israeli airstrike.
According to reports from Reuters and others, the Houthi announced on the 30th (local time) that Prime Minister Ahmed Galib Alawi and several Ministers were killed during a meeting in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, due to the Israeli attack on the 28th. Prime Minister Alawi is the highest-ranking official from the Houthi side to have died due to the conflict in Gaza.
The Houthi stated, "Prime Minister Alawi and his several Minister colleagues became martyrs after being targeted by the despicable criminal Israel," adding, "Other colleagues suffered serious injuries and are receiving treatment."
A retaliation against Israel has also been warned. Mahdi Al-Mashat, the head of the Houthi political council, posted a video on Telegram saying, "I promise vengeance to God, to the great Yemeni people, and to the families of the martyrs and the injured," while warning foreign corporations in Israel to "leave Israel before it's too late."
Immediately after the announcement of Prime Minister Alawi's death, the Houthi political council officially appointed Muhammad Ahmed Maftah, the first deputy prime minister, as the acting prime minister. Deputy Prime Minister Maftah is essentially the person who has been leading the Houthis in practice, rather than simply being a nominal prime minister like Alawi.
The Houthis, supported by Iran, have been attacking Israel since the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023. Support for Palestinians in Gaza has been the justification for these attacks. Israel has also been responding to Houthi attacks by conducting airstrikes on Houthi positions.