sources indicate that israel may have been monitoring a speech by al-Houthi, seeking to determine if he was aware that senior members of his association were being targeted in an alleged strike.

Among those purportedly targeted were the Houthis’ defense minister and military chief of staff.

Muhammad Nasser al-Attafi, the defense minister since 2016, is considered a high-ranking figure within the Houthi military structure. Al-Attafi is believed to have cultivated close ties wiht Iran‘s Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, and is allegedly involved in operations against Israel.

Also reportedly targeted was Houthi chief of staff Muhammad Al-Ghamari, who was reportedly seriously hurt but not killed, by an Israeli strike in Yemen in June.

???? UPDATE:

The strike In Yemen, happened during the speech of Houthi leader Abdul Malik after Israel received intelligence that the top military leadership of the Houthis and the Chief of Staff are meeting in a secret building in Sana’a.

Looks like a “Red Wedding” type strike..https://t.co/0tDDIO5qsH pic.twitter.com/2Yjj9g3AEa

– Voice From The East (@EasternVoices) August 28, 2025

According to reports, Israel had considered targeting Houthi leadership during a previous strike on Sanaa but ultimately waited until Thursday.

Sources have characterized the strike as a significant action. Earlier operations in Yemen had not stopped Houthi attacks, primarily targeting infrastructure rather than specific individuals based on intelligence.

A houthi defense ministry source denied that any members of the group had been targeted, asserting that Israel was attacking “civilian targets and the Yemeni people because of their positions supporting Gaza.”

Houthi Minister of Defense, Major General Mohamed al-Atifi, and Chief of General Staff, Major General Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari, are both believed to have been killed in today’s wave of airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force against the Yemeni capital of sana’a in… pic.twitter.com/dUVwBu4WIB

– Osintdefender (@sentdefender) August 29, 2025

If confirmed, Thursday’s strikes would mark the 16th instance of reported Israeli attacks against the Houthi group in Yemen, a region approximately 1,100 miles away.

The houthis, who have expressed hostility towards the U.S. and Israel, began targeting israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, following the Hamas attacks in southern Israel.

Houthi attacks ceased during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. Prior to the ceasefire, the Houthis had launched over 40 ballistic missiles and numerous drones at Israel, including an attack in Tel Aviv in July that resulted in casualties, prompting Israel’s initial strike in Yemen.

Since March 18, coinciding with the resumption of the Israeli offensive against Hamas, the Houthis have reportedly launched 72 ballistic missiles and at least 23 drones at Israel, with some missiles falling short.

In response to houthi actions, Israel and a U.S.-led coalition have conducted strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, including Sanaa and Hodeida. Strikes in May reportedly disabled the Sanaa airport.

A reported agreement between the U.S. governance and the Houthis to end airstrikes in exchange for a halt to attacks on shipping was announced in May. However, the Houthis stated that the agreement did not include a cessation of attacks on targets they considered aligned with Israel.