Hundreds of individuals in Yemen convened for the burial ceremonies of Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi faction, and several government figures who were killed in recent days. The rebel group attributed their deaths to an Israeli strike, occurring shortly after the Houthis, backed by Iran, launched a ballistic missile towards Israel, which the Israeli military identified as the first cluster bomb assault by the group since 2023.
The funeral took place at Shaab Mosque in Sanaa, the capital, and was broadcasted by Al-Masirah TV, a satellite news channel controlled by the Houthis. Mourners inside the mosque voiced anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiments while lamenting the loss of officials, including ministers of foreign affairs, media, culture, and industry.
Israel confirmed on Friday that their airstrike targeted the Houthis’ chief of staff, defense minister, and other high-ranking officials, mentioning they were still verifying the results. However, as of Monday, there had been no direct response regarding the deaths of al-Rahawi and the ministers. Attendees at the funeral, like Ahmed Khaled and Fathy Mahmoud, informed The Associated Press that the families of the deceased officials arrived in ambulances, with the bodies placed in coffins inside the mosque. Footage displayed 11 coffins, each adorned with individual photos of the late officials and wrapped in Yemeni flags.
Notably, al-Rahawi was the highest-ranking Houthi official to be killed since the initiation of an Israeli-U.S. campaign against the rebel group earlier this year. Other ministers and officials sustained injuries, as stated in a Houthi declaration following the Israeli attack. Mohamed Muftah, the Houthis’ new acting prime minister and al-Rahawi’s former deputy, addressed the funeral, emphasizing the group’s confrontation with the U.S. and Israel and highlighting the ongoing functionality of Yemeni ports under their control despite the attacks.
In a separate development, the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacking an oil tanker off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea on Monday. Brig.-Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, alleged in a broadcasted message that the vessel, the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray, linked to Israel, was targeted. The vessel, owned by Eastern Pacific and publicly associated with Israel, was identified by maritime security firm Ambrey as fitting the Houthis’ “target profile.”
Eastern Pacific, ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and previously targeted in suspected Iranian assaults, confirmed that the Scarlet Ray had not sustained damage and was operational with the crew safe. The Houthis have been carrying out missile and drone attacks on Israel and vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians amid the conflict in Gaza, significantly disrupting shipping in the region.
Following a temporary ceasefire in the war, the Houthis faced intense airstrikes ordered by former U.S. President Donald Trump before a ceasefire was declared. Recent attacks by the Houthis coincide with uncertain prospects for a new ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and ongoing discussions between the U.S. and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program post a 12-day war launched by Israel against Iran.