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Israel has carried out a wave of targeted airstrikes against Houthi leadership in Yemen, resulting in the death of one of the group’s top leaders.

Getting into it: The most significant of these strikes occurred on Thursday in the Beit Baws area of southern Sanaa, where Israeli fighter jets targeted a villa reportedly hosting a high-level Houthi leadership meeting. The strike killed Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi (the highest-ranking Houthi official eliminated by Israeli forces to date) alongside several ministers, including those responsible for foreign affairs, energy, information, justice, youth, and sports.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strike in a statement released Saturday, describing it as a “precise” operation enabled by real-time intelligence. The IDF added that the targets were responsible for “the use of force, the military buildup of the Houthi terror regime, and the advancement of terror actions against Israel.” Defense Minister Israel Katz called the strike “a crushing blow” and warned, “This is only the beginning.” The military said the operation was completed “within a few hours” of receiving intelligence on the Houthi gathering.

In response, the Houthi leadership confirmed the deaths and condemned the attack. “We announce the martyrdom of the mujahid Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, prime minister of the Government of Change and Construction, along with several of his fellow ministers,” read a statement from the Houthi presidency. Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, delivered a fiery televised address vowing retaliation: “Our stance remains as it is and will remain until the aggression ends and the siege is lifted, no matter how great the challenges.” He added, “We shall take vengeance, and we shall forge from the depths of wounds a victory.”

This all comes as there’s speculation that Houthi Defense Minister Mohamed al-Atifi may have also been targeted in the strike, though his status remains unconfirmed.