Inna lillahi - Houthi chief of staff killed, Israel says it carried out the strike
As-salamu alaykum. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un - reports say Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari, the Houthis' Chief of Staff, was killed “while fulfilling his duties.”
Soon after the Houthis announced his death, Israel claimed responsibility, with Defence Minister Israel Katz saying al-Ghamari was hit in an Israeli strike. Katz also warned they would act the same way against any future threats.
The Houthis said the fight with Israel isn’t over and that Israel will “receive its deterrent punishment for the crimes it has committed.” Earlier, in August, Israel said it targeted senior Houthi figures in air raids on Sanaa that killed the prime minister of the Houthi-run government and other ministers.
Al-Ghamari’s death came six days into a fragile US-backed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. That truce paused Israel’s nearly two-year war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians and caused a severe humanitarian crisis. Rights groups and a UN inquiry have accused Israel of carrying out actions that amount to genocide.
Since October 2023, the Houthis have launched drone and missile attacks against Israel, saying they act in solidarity with Palestinians. They have also targeted ships in the Red Sea. The US and UK have responded with strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen.
In their statement on al-Ghamari’s death, the Houthis condemned what they called repeated “brutal” attacks by Israel on Yemeni civilians, neighborhoods, economic facilities and other infrastructure, and praised military operations as “great victories” made possible by the sacrifice of leaders like al-Ghamari. The group said it carried out 758 military operations using 1,835 munitions, including drones and missiles.
Israeli strikes on war-torn Yemen happen regularly and are often devastating, hitting key infrastructure like the main international airport and killing dozens at a time.
Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi praised al-Ghamari’s role in operations supporting Gaza, saying in a televised address that leaders had been offered as a “sacrifice to God” and that the movement would remain steadfast. He added that despite US attempts to isolate the Palestinian people, Yemen acted in support, and that others in leadership and the military will continue the path.
Last week, after the ceasefire was announced, al-Houthi said the group would watch Israel’s compliance and would resume support for Gaza if Israel did not stick to the agreement.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news