Houthi leaders flee Sanaa as Israel targets top officials – report

Last Thursday, Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi was killed in a strike. Nine ministers and two cabinet officials were killed while attending a meeting.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that senior Houthi figures are fleeing the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, abandoning civilians as Israeli airstrikes continue to target the Iran-backed group.

“The remnants of the Houthi leadership are escaping Sanaa,” Katz stated. “As with other radical Islamist terror leaders, they prioritize their own safety while leaving residents behind.”

He drew parallels to Hamas leaders — some of whom, he noted, operate from “luxury hotels in Qatar.”

“We knew how to reach them this time, and we’ll know how to do it again,” he said.

According to a report by Asharq Al-Awsat, a Saudi-owned outlet based in London, several high-ranking Houthi officials have disappeared from the capital in recent days. The report identified those believed to have fled to fortified areas in Saada, Amran and other Houthi-controlled regions as Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the group’s ruling council; Interior Minister Abdul Karim al-Houthi; intelligence chief Abu Ali al-Hakim; and council member Ahmed Hamed.

Sources told the outlet that buses were seen transporting the families of Houthi leaders northward. The group, seemingly aware that Israeli strikes were targeting leadership figures, reportedly instructed its commanders to avoid government facilities and public gatherings.

The apparent retreat follows a deadly Israeli strike last Thursday on a government building in the Sanaa area. Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi was killed in one strike; nine ministers and two other cabinet officials were killed while attending a meeting, according to the report.

In response, the Houthis vowed to intensify their attacks on Israel. The terror group, aligned with Tehran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” has claimed responsibility for launching drones and missiles toward Israeli territory in recent months.

While the Houthis maintain control over large portions of northern Yemen, their leadership appears to be recalibrating amid growing pressure from Israeli operations.