Israeli strike in Sanaa kills Houthi prime minister and ministers

The Iran-backed Houthi movement said on Saturday that an Israeli airstrike on Thursday in the Yemeni capital Sanaa killed its prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb alRahawi, and several ministers after they had gathered for a routine government workshop. The strike marked the highest-profile loss among Houthi officials since the group began launching missiles and drones at Israel in the wake of the Gaza war.

In a statement carried on Houthi media, the group said alRahawi and a number of fellow ministers were killed and others wounded while gathered to review the government’s year of work. The Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday it had "precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target in the area of Sanaa" and on Saturday posted that alRahawi and additional senior officials were "eliminated" in the strike. Israeli officials said the operation was enabled by a timely intelligence opportunity and air superiority, but the military has said it is still verifying the full outcome.

Accounts of who was present and how many senior figures were killed varied. Israeli media and some security sources reported that the attack hit multiple locations where senior Houthi officials had...