Israel's military targeted the Houthi defence minister and military chief of staff in air strikes on Yemen on Thursday, Israeli army radio said.
The military is awaiting confirmation of the outcome of the strikes on Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, it said on Friday.
Leaders of the Iran-backed militia dismissed the strikes as “failures”, after reports that the Israeli attacks targeted a gathering of top officials in Yemen's capital and killed two.
Chairman of the Houthis' supreme political council Mahdi Al Mashat called the reports that the defence minister and the military chief of staff were killed “fake news”, saying the strikes were “failures and will remain failures, and our long arm will teach them the necessary lesson”, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported.
Both officials, as well as others also listed below, are likely to feature high on Israel's hit list of Houthi targets.
Mohammed Abdulsalam
As the main spokesman for the Houthis, Mohammed Abdulsalam is one of the group's most prominent figures and chairs the board of the rebel-affiliated Al Masirah Media Network. Mr Abdulsalam “played a key role in managing the Houthis' internal and external financing network”, according to the US Treasury, and has visited Moscow to secure Russian weaponry and support. He also met Russian Foreign Ministry and military officials to arrange further visits by Houthi delegations, it said.
Mahdi Al Mashat
Mahdi Al Mashat is chairman of the supreme political council in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, which serves as the executive branch of the Houthi-led administration. He is responsible for issuing official statements regarding the Houthis' military positions and diplomatic ties. He, too, has worked on building ties between the Houthis and Russia's government, specifically with President Vladimir Putin, according to the US Treasury.
Mohammed Ali Al Houthi
Mohammed Ali Al Houthi is a member of the council and served as chairman of its precursor, the supreme revolutionary committee. As a spokesman of the Houthis, Mr Al Houthi has stressed the rebels' commitment to ensuring safe passage for Russian vessels amid the group's campaign of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza.
The US Treasury said Mr Al Houthi planned to visit Russia with other Houthi members to discuss details of Russian aid to the group.
The Houthis, led by Abdul-Malik Al Houthi, have repeatedly targeted merchant vessels in the Red Sea since November 2023, a month after war in Gaza began.
Their attacks have disrupted global trade and prompted the US and the EU to send warships to the area. The group also launched drones and missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted. Israel's strikes on Thursday came a day after it intercepted a Houthi missile.
The US has also launched several rounds of strikes on the Houthis, including three in March when the rebels threatened to resume attacks on shipping after a lull.
Mohammad Al Ghamari
Houthi military chief of general staff Mohammad Al Ghamari was targeted by Israel in June but survived the attack. He is also de facto commander of the militia's Hussein Brigades.
He led the offensive against the government-held city of Marib in 2023, displacing tens of thousands of civilians, in the largest operation by the group since the capture of Sanaa in 2014, which he also participated in.
Mr Al Ghamari also oversaw the launch of ballistic missiles and drones at the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Al Atifi
Mohammed Al Atifi became Houthi defence minister in 2016. As head of the maritime branch of the Houthi military, he has overseen attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
