Israel’s targeted strike on Yemen’s Houthi leadership in August has claimed another high-profile figure — Maj. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, the chief of staff of the Houthi military.
Yemeni and Israeli officials confirmed his death Thursday, marking a major escalation in Israel’s widening shadow conflict with the Iran-backed group, even as a fragile ceasefire continues to hold in Gaza.
Al-Ghamari’s killing adds to a string of targeted assassinations of senior Houthi figures in recent months.
The strike that fatally wounded him was reportedly part of a broader Israeli operation on August 28, which also killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several others.
However, intelligence sources suggest al-Ghamari might have been injured in a separate, covert attack against the group’s top military command before succumbing to his wounds days later.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed al-Ghamari’s death, calling it “the strike of the firstborn” — a biblical reference often used in Israeli military rhetoric.
He added that the general had now “joined his fellow members of the axis of evil in the depths of hell.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also hailed the operation, declaring: Another terror chief who sought to harm us has been eliminated. We will reach all of them.”
Houthi Confirmation and Mourning
The Houthi-controlled SABA news agency acknowledged al-Ghamari’s death, saying he was killed along with his 13-year-old son Hussain and “several of his companions.”
The agency did not provide specifics about the timing or location of the strike, but described his death as martyrdom in the line of “jihad.
”His pure soul ascended while he was performing his jihadi duty,” the statement read, as Houthi leaders vowed to continue their resistance.
Al-Ghamari had long been a key military strategist for the Houthis, overseeing their cross-border operations against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Both the United Nations and the U.S. Treasury Department had sanctioned him, citing his central role in coordinating attacks that devastated civilian areas and infrastructure across Yemen and neighboring states.
According to the U.S. Treasury’s 2021 sanctions notice, al-Ghamari had received advanced military training from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, making him one of the most experienced commanders within the Houthisi hierarchy.
Following his death, the Houthis appointed Maj. Gen. Yusuf Hassan al-Madani as his successor — another sanctioned figure, known for leading operations in the key Red Sea port city of Hodeida.
Global Repercussions and Rising Risks
Israel has accused al-Ghamari of masterminding hundreds of missile and drone attacks against Israeli civilians and critical infrastructure since the start of the Gaza war.
His death comes as a symbolic blow to the Houthis, who gained international attention for targeting ships in the Red Sea — a campaign that disrupted global trade worth nearly $1 trillion annually.
Although the Houthis have paused their attacks since the Gaza ceasefire took effect on October 10, analysts warn the latest strike could provoke renewed retaliation.
The group’s maritime operations have already resulted in nine deaths, four sunken vessels, and multiple attacks on global shipping lines.
Their last confirmed strike on September 29 targeted the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht, killing one crew member and injuring another.
Meanwhile, the Houthis have tightened their grip at home, detaining dozens of staff from UN agencies and aid groups under unsubstantiated espionage claims.
Their leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, accused organizations such as UNICEF and the World Food Program of spying — remarks that drew sharp condemnation from the UN.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric rebuked the allegations, warning they endangered humanitarian workers: Calling UN staff spies or terrorists puts their lives at risk.
These accusations are unacceptable and deeply troubling.”
As tensions simmer, the killing of al-Ghamari underscores Israel’s determination to expand its campaign beyond Gaza, striking at Iran-aligned militias that it perceives as part of a broader threat network spanning Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.
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