Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is celebrating a successful long-range strike that killed the Houthi prime minister, but the group’s core military leadership appears to have survived the attack. Netanyahu hailed the assassination of Ahmed Ghaleb Al Rahwi as a “fatal blow,” yet the rebels’ war machine remains largely intact.
The Israeli operation in Sanaa was a response to the Houthis’ ongoing campaign against Israel, which includes missile attacks and maritime disruptions in the Red Sea. The Yemeni group has cast these actions as a necessary stand in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The raid was an impressive display of intelligence and military precision over a vast distance, proving that Israel can reach its enemies even in faraway Yemen. The fact that the Houthi chief of staff—the reported primary target—was not killed, however, underscores the challenge of decapitating the organization.
The Houthis have promised to avenge their fallen leader, ensuring the cycle of violence will continue. While security experts like Yoel Guzansky see the strike as a “remarkable” achievement that puts the leadership on the defensive, they doubt it will meaningfully degrade the group’s capacity or will to launch further attacks.