By Elham Asaad Buaras
London, (The Muslim News): Yemen’s Houthi (Ansarallah) group has confirmed that Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the capital, Sana’a. The Thursday strike also killed several ministers and injured others, the Houthis said.
Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat mourned the officials and vowed Israel’s attack would not weaken the group’s position. Chief of Staff Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari warned the strikes “will not go unpunished.” Israel described the operation as a “precise” strike on a military target, without commenting on reports of ministerial casualties.
“The [Israeli] defence minister, Israel Katz, had previously noted that Israel’s strikes on Yemen weren’t really doing enough to deter the group from launching” attacks against the country.
As a result, Katz said “he wanted to target their leadership similar to what Israel has done with assassinations within other political groups across the region, like Hezbollah, like Hamas, like Islamic Jihad.”
The attack came four days after Israeli strikes on the Yemeni capital on August 24 killed 10 people and wounded more than 90, according to health officials.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets and attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea, declaring their actions in support of besieged Palestinians in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israel’s offensive in Gaza continues to inflict mass civilian casualties. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least 63,371 have been killed since October 2023, including 332 from starvation, of whom 124 were children. In the past 24 hours alone, 66 bodies and 345 wounded were admitted to hospitals, bringing the total injuries to 159,835.
Among the latest victims was infant Rania Ghabn, who died from severe malnutrition at Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City, highlighting the impact of Israel’s blockade and restricted aid, with food stockpiles still held at the Rafah crossing in Egypt.
On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes and artillery killed at least 72 Palestinians across Gaza City and surrounding areas. Neighbourhoods including Zeitoun, Sheikh Radwan, Tel al-Hawa, al-Rimal, and al-Sabra were devastated, with tents, bakeries, cafes, and residential buildings targeted. Dozens of displaced civilians, including children, were killed, and gunfire struck crowds waiting for aid in al-Sudaniya and near the US-run distribution centre on the Netzarim Corridor.
Central and southern Gaza faced heavy bombardment as Israeli warplanes struck Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps and Deir al-Balah. Gunfire killed Palestinians waiting for aid in Rafah and Khan Younis, while an airstrike west of Khan Younis killed a woman.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, with the Health Ministry warning of a growing humanitarian crisis. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, Director of Al-Shifa Hospital, called the situation “catastrophic,” reporting over 1,000 adult malnutrition cases in three weeks. He stated that a contagious virus is spreading rapidly due to weakened immunity and a lack of access to clean water and basic hygiene supplies.
Israel’s campaign, part of “Operation Gideon 2,” authorised on August 21, aims to occupy Gaza City. Fierce battles and airstrikes have flattened neighbourhoods, leaving nearly one million Palestinians trapped in designated “dangerous combat zones.”
On Friday, seven Israeli soldiers were wounded when their armoured personnel carrier struck an explosive device on Gaza City’s outskirts. Further casualties have been reported, though official confirmation is pending.
International criticism is mounting. Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Simon Harris, warned on Saturday that the EU risks losing credibility if it fails to impose “concrete measures” against Israel for what he described as the “horrific genocide” in Gaza. He cited Israel’s violations of its human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
[Photo: A view of people looking for injured and dead Palestinians in the rubble after the Israeli bombing on the Rimal neighborhood in northern Gaza Strip, where many people have been killed and injured, in Gaza City, Gaza on August 30, 2025. Photojournalist: Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini/AA]
