Israel Eliminates Houthi Military Chief Muhammad al-Ghamari in Strategic Airstrike Amid Regional Tensions

Houthi Chief of Staff Muhammad al-Ghamari.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

An Israeli airstrike targeting Yemen's Houthi rebel leadership in August has resulted in the death of their military chief of staff, officials confirmed on Thursday. This development further intensifies tensions between the rebel group and Israel despite an ongoing ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthis have officially acknowledged the death of Major General Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, who had previously been sanctioned by the United Nations for his role in Yemen's decade-long conflict.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that al-Ghamari died from wounds sustained in the attack, remarking that he had joined "his fellow members of the axis of evil in the depths of hell."

Katz referred to the operation as "the strike of the firstborn," likely alluding to Israel's series of strikes conducted on August 28. That particular attack claimed the life of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and others. However, analysts suggest al-Ghamari may have been wounded in a separate strike targeting the secretive organization.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed Israel's role in eliminating al-Ghamari, stating, "Another chief of staff in the line of terror chiefs who aimed to harm us was eliminated. We will reach all of them."

According to a statement published by the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency, the militants reported that al-Ghamari was killed alongside his 13-year-old son Hussain and "several of his companions." The statement did not specify the date of the strike or identify the other casualties.

"His pure soul ascended while he was in the course of his jihadi work," SABA reported.

The United Nations, in its sanctions against al-Ghamari, described him as playing "the leading role in orchestrating the Houthis' military efforts that are directly threatening the peace, security and stability of Yemen, as well as cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia."

The U.S. Treasury Department had also sanctioned al-Ghamari in 2021, stating he was "responsible for orchestrating attacks by Houthi forces impacting Yemeni civilians." The department noted he had received training from Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group and Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

"As the head of the general staff of the Houthi armed forces, the most senior commander within the Houthi military leadership structure, al-Ghamari is directly responsible for overseeing Houthi military operations that have destroyed civilian infrastructure and Yemen's neighbors," specifically Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Treasury stated at that time.

The Israel military characterized al-Ghamari as being "responsible for hundreds of missiles and (drone) attacks launched toward Israeli civilians and the state of Israel."

Al-Ghamari had also led a Houthi offensive targeting Yemen's energy-rich Marib province.

The Treasury listed his year of birth as either 1979 or 1984 at the time of his sanctioning. Information about his other survivors was not immediately available.

Another SABA statement announced that al-Ghamari would be replaced by Major General Yusuf Hassan al-Madani. Al-Madani had been sanctioned simultaneously with al-Ghamari by the U.S. for his role as "a prominent Houthi military leader" who commanded the rebels' fifth military zone, including the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeida.

It remains uncertain how the Houthis will respond. The group gained international attention during the Israel-Hamas war through attacks they claimed were intended to pressure Israel to cease hostilities. Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the Houthis have not conducted attacks targeting either Israel or shipping.

The Houthis' maritime campaign has resulted in at least nine mariner deaths and the sinking of four ships. Their actions disrupted shipping in the Red Sea, a corridor through which approximately $1 trillion in goods passed annually before the war. The rebels' most recent attack struck the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht on September 29, killing one crew member and wounding another.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have increasingly threatened Saudi Arabia and detained dozens of workers from UN agencies and other aid organizations as prisoners, alleging without evidence that they were spies—claims vehemently denied by the United Nations and other organizations.

"Among the most dangerous espionage cells that became active are those affiliated with organizations working in the humanitarian field, notably the World Food Program and UNICEF," claimed the Houthi's secretive leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, in a televised speech Thursday without providing evidence.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric strongly rejected al-Houthi's allegations.

"The accusations are extremely disturbing," he said. "They're extremely worrying coming from the leadership. And accusations, calling UN staff spies or, as we've seen in other contexts, calling them terrorists — all that does is it puts the lives of UN staff everywhere at risk, and it's unacceptable."