Aerial attack by Israel results in the death of the Houthi rebel's prime minister in Yemen's main city
In a dramatic turn of events, the Houthi prime minister of Yemen, Ahmed al-Rahaui, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on August 24, 2024. The attack, which also claimed the lives of several high-ranking Houthi officials in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, marked a significant shift in Israel's approach to the conflict in Yemen.
The Houthi prime minister, hailing from the southern province of Abyan, had allied himself with the Houthis when they overran Sanaa and much of the north and center of Yemen in 2014, initiating the country's long-running civil war. Prior to his appointment as prime minister in August 2024, he had been an ally to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The killing of al-Rahaui is seen as a "serious setback" for the Houthis, according to Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst. The airstrike was a response to the Houthis' targeted attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which they claimed were in solidarity with the Palestinians in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The U.S. and Israel began their air and naval campaign against the Houthis in response to the rebels' missile and drone attacks, including a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards Israel on Aug. 24, which was described as the first cluster bomb they had launched at Israel since 2023.
In a previous attempt to end the conflict, the Trump administration announced a deal with the Houthis in May to end the airstrikes. However, the rebels said the agreement did not include halting attacks on targets they believed were aligned with Israel.
The U.S. and Israeli strikes have reportedly killed dozens of people in Yemen, including at least 68 people in a U.S. strike in April that hit a prison holding African migrants in northern Sadaa province.
The escalating conflict in Yemen continues to pose a significant threat to regional stability and the lives of its people. As the situation unfolds, the international community is urged to intervene to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
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