Yemen’s Houthi movement has confirmed that its military chief of staff, Major General Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, was killed alongside his 13-year-old son in what the group described as an “honourable battle against the Israeli enemy.” The announcement, made on October 16, 2025, marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis and Israel, drawing renewed international attention to a war that has already devastated Yemen and reverberated far beyond its borders.
The Houthis’ statement, as reported by BBC and Reuters, gave few details about the precise circumstances of al-Ghamari’s death. However, the group was unequivocal in its defiance, vowing that such losses were “a source of pride” and promising revenge. “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,” the statement warned. The Houthis also acknowledged that “a large number of great martyrs, both civilians and military personnel” had died during what they called the “criminal American-Zionist aggression against the country” over the past two years.
Israel, for its part, was quick to claim responsibility for the killing. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on X (formerly Twitter) that al-Ghamari had “died of wounds” sustained in an Israeli air strike on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in late August—a strike that also killed the Houthi government’s prime minister and several other senior ministers. “Another chief of staff in the line of terror chiefs who aimed to harm us was eliminated,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, adding, “We will reach all of them.” Netanyahu’s office further emphasized, “Israel’s determined hand will reach everyone who has tried to harm us and made it their goal to destroy Israel.”
The August airstrike in Sanaa, according to Haaretz and Reuters, specifically targeted the Houthi group’s senior leadership, including the chief of staff, the defence minister, and other key figures. At the time, Israel said it was verifying the outcome of the operation. The death of al-Ghamari—who was a member of the Houthis’ influential “Jihad Office” under the leadership of Abdul Malik al-Houthi—has now been confirmed by both sides.
The killing comes just days after a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, following two years of intense conflict. During that period, the Houthis repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks against Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians. Most of these attacks were intercepted, but they nevertheless prompted a series of retaliatory strikes by Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom on Houthi-controlled military targets in Yemen.
The Houthis’ campaign has been far from symbolic. In their own statement, the group claimed to have carried out 758 military operations, deploying 1,835 munitions—including drones and missiles—since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. These operations, the Houthis insist, are part of a broader “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States, a network that includes other Iran-backed groups across the region.
After the announcement of al-Ghamari’s death, the Houthis quickly appointed Youssef Hassan al-Madani as the new military chief of staff, signaling their intent to continue the fight. The group’s leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, reiterated that the Houthis would remain vigilant, stating that they will monitor Israel’s compliance with the new Gaza ceasefire agreement and would “resume support for Gaza if Israel fails to comply.”
The conflict’s roots stretch back more than a decade. The Houthis, hailing from Yemen’s mountainous north, seized control of large swathes of the country—including the capital, Sanaa—after ousting the internationally recognized government ten years ago. Their rise triggered a brutal civil war that has drawn in regional powers and plunged Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Despite repeated military interventions by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, the Houthis have maintained their grip on the northwest of the country.
The war’s impact has been catastrophic. According to figures cited by AFP, a seven-week American bombing campaign earlier this year left 300 people dead, while ongoing strikes and blockades have deepened Yemen’s economic collapse and left millions at risk of famine. The Houthis’ willingness to escalate attacks on Israel and international shipping has further complicated efforts to stabilize the region.
International reaction to al-Ghamari’s death has been sharply divided. Israeli officials have framed the killing as a necessary blow against terrorism. Defence Minister Israel Katz declared, “We have worked hard against the Houthis to remove significant threats—and we will do so against any threat in the future as well.” In a more provocative tone, Katz wrote that al-Ghamari had joined “his thwarted comrades of the Axis of Evil in the depths of hell.”
The Houthis, meanwhile, have sought to rally support by portraying al-Ghamari’s death as a martyrdom for a just cause. “The martyred leader, Major General Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, along with some of 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,” their statement read. The group declared that such deaths would be avenged and that the fight would continue until “deterrent punishment” was delivered to Israel.
Despite the heated rhetoric, there has been a notable lull in Houthi missile and drone attacks since the Gaza ceasefire was agreed on October 10, 2025. Whether this pause signals a lasting de-escalation or merely a temporary respite remains to be seen. Abdul Malik al-Houthi has made it clear that the group’s readiness to act remains undiminished if Israel fails to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire.
As Yemen’s war grinds on, the death of al-Ghamari and the ongoing cycle of attacks and reprisals underscore the region’s volatility. The Houthis’ ability to strike far beyond Yemen’s borders and the willingness of Israel and its allies to respond forcefully have created a dangerous dynamic—one that threatens not only the people of Yemen but the stability of the wider Middle East.
The loss of a top commander like al-Ghamari is a significant blow for the Houthis, but their swift appointment of a successor and their vow to continue the fight suggest that the conflict is far from over. With both sides digging in and regional tensions still simmering, the prospect of peace remains elusive for Yemen and its embattled people.
