Israeli officials say Houthi military chief targeted in Yemen strike
Unclear if attempt to kill Muhammad Al-Ghamari successful; IDF confirms strike, says results to be published later
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
An Israeli strike in Yemen on Saturday night was a targeted assassination attempt on Houthi military chief of staff Muhammad Al-Ghamari, according to Israeli officials.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, in a press conference on Sunday, confirmed the Israeli Air Force carried out a strike in Yemen, at the same time as strikes in Iran.
“Last night, while the strikes in Iran were ongoing, air force fighter jets flew over 2,000 kilometers from Israel and struck in Sanaa in Yemen. We will update later on the results of the strike,” Defrin said.
Some Hebrew media reports said Al-Ghamari was believed to have been meeting with other Houthi leaders at the time of the strike. The Ynet news site cited a source in Yemen as saying the strike was directed at his command headquarters.
The report said the Houthis set up roadblocks in the area after the incident and ambulances were called.
It cited the source as saying that Al-Ghamari, trained in Iran, had coordinated between the Houthis and Iran, and overseen the Houthis’ missile program.
The target of an assassination strike by the Israeli Air Force earlier in Houthi-controlled Yemen is reported to be Houthi Chief-of-Staff Muhammad Abd Al-Karim Al-Ghamari. pic.twitter.com/gekkXl5SSh
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 14, 2025
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
They held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched some 50 ballistic missiles and at least a dozen drones at Israel.
The Times of Israel Community.