The Houthi group said its military chief of staff, Mohammed al-Ghamari, was killed in an Israeli airstrike. His 13-year-old son also died. The group called it an “honourable battle against the Israeli enemy.”

It did not share details about the attack. The statement came soon after Israeli forces hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen.

Israel Defends Its Strikes

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the strikes were a response to repeated Houthi drone and missile attacks. These attacks targeted Israel and ships in the Red Sea linked to the Gaza war.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Ghamari “died of wounds” from an airstrike in Sanaa in late August. That strike also killed the Houthi government’s prime minister and other ministers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Another chief of staff in the line of terror chiefs who aimed to harm us was eliminated. We will reach all of them.”

Houthis Call Deaths a Source of Pride

The Houthis said the deaths of their leaders were a “source of pride.” The group stated that “a large number of great martyrs, both civilians and military personnel,” had died in what it called “criminal American-Zionist aggression.”

The statement added, “The martyred leader, Major General Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, along with his companions and his martyred son, Hussein, aged 13, ascended as a blessed martyr in the course of his jihadist work and the fulfilment of his religious duty.”

The group vowed revenge. It warned, “The rounds of conflict with the enemy have not ended, and the Zionist enemy will receive its deterrent punishment for the crimes it has committed.”

Israel Warns of More Action

On X, Defence Minister Katz said Ghamari joined “his thwarted comrades of the Axis of Evil in the depths of hell.” He added, “We have worked hard against the Houthis to remove significant threats — and we will do so against any threat in the future as well.”

Israel said it would keep targeting those who threaten its security.

Calm After Ceasefire

Since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire began, the Israeli military has not reported any Houthi attacks. However, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said his group would act again if Israel broke the deal.