Yemenis lift placards during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and in condemnation of ‘Israel’ and the US, in the Houthi-run capital Sanaa.
Houthis mourn prime minister killed in ‘Israeli’ strike on Sanaa
Yemen's Houthis today, Monday, laid to rest their prime minister and other government officials who were killed in an ‘Israeli’ strike on Sanaa last week.
Read more: UN envoy says Yemen's Houthi detain at least 11 personnel
The funeral took place amid a large public gathering in central Sanaa as the group vowed to continue its attacks on ‘Israel’.
Funeral Service
The ceremony began at Al-Shaab Mosque in Sabaeen Square, where funeral prayers were held before the bodies of the 12 victims were carried on shoulders through the crowd. The procession was accompanied by a military parade .
The Houthis had announced on Saturday that their prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, and several other ministers were killed in the ‘Israeli’ strike on Thursday.
Al-Rahawi is the highest-ranking Houthi political official to be killed since the war on Gaza began.
The acting prime minister, Mohammed Muftah, who was appointed on Saturday, said during the funeral that nine ministers, the head of the prime minister's office, and the cabinet secretary were killed in the attack alongside al-Rahawi.
"There is no concern for the performance of the government apparatus, and the blood of the martyrs gives us motivation and determination," Muftah said.
The televised funeral on the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV showed large public crowds in attendance. The bodies were buried in the "Martyr al-Samad Garden" in Sanaa.
Escalating Tensions and UN Concerns
The killing of the Houthi government officials, which was confirmed by ‘Israel’, sparked outrage among the group's leadership.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed to continue missile and drone attacks on ‘Israel’ in a "steady and escalating" manner.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced Sunday that the Houthis had arrested at least 11 UN staff members in an "arbitrary" campaign in Sanaa following the announcement of the officials' deaths.
This comes after a separate campaign of arrests targeting dozens of people suspected of spying for ‘Israel’.
On Monday, the Houthis claimed to have targeted and hit a tanker in the Red Sea they identified as ‘Israeli’, but the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a missile had landed near the Liberian-flagged vessel and that it was not hit.
