Houthis announce death of top commander in apparent Israeli airstrike

Yemen’s Houthi movement announced on Thursday the death of its chief of staff, Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, in what appeared to be Israeli airstrikes that targeted the group’s positions in northern Yemen.

Al-Ghamari, considered the second most powerful figure in the Houthi hierarchy after the group’s leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, played a key role in the group’s regional military operations and was on Israel’s list of priority targets.

Israeli strikes also killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi in August.

In a statement on Thursday, the Houthi armed forces said that “the jihadi commander, Major General Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, was martyred along with several of his companions and his 13-year-old son, Hussein.”

The group described him as “a steadfast fighter who fell while performing his religious and national duty on the path to Jerusalem.”

The Houthis later announced the appointment of Youssef Hassan al-Madani as their new chief of staff.

It is not known exactly when al-Ghamari was killed. The Houthis stated only that he was killed “during airstrikes over two years” since the start of the Gaza war. The Houthis had previously dismissed reports of his killing as false.

But local sources have said Israel attacked targets overnight in the northern province of Saada, which borders Saudi Arabia. The province is a stronghold of the militia, which has controlled northern Yemen, including the capital Sana’a, for 10 years.

There was no immediate confirmation from Israel.

According to Israeli media reports, the airstrike took place at the end of August. The reports at the time left unclear whether al-Ghamari was killed immediately or succumbed to his injuries later.

After the Gaza war began two years ago, the Houthi militia began attacking targets in Israel, especially merchant vessels suspected of having links with Israel.