ALBAWABA- Yemen's Houthi movement announced on Thursday the death of its Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammed Abdulkarim al-Ghumari, a key military figure instrumental in coordinating attacks against Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea, without specifying the cause or timing of his demise.
In a statement released via the group's Saba news agency, the Houthis described al-Ghumari as a "martyr" who perished "while fulfilling his duties on the path to Jerusalem," framing his loss within their broader campaign in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The announcement, which also appointed Yusuf al-Madani, commander of the fifth military region, as his successor, comes amid escalating tensions with Israel, which previously claimed responsibility for al-Ghumari's elimination.
Israeli officials asserted that al-Ghumari was killed in an airstrike on August 28, 2025, targeting a high-level Houthi government meeting in Sana'a, where he sustained fatal injuries alongside the group's prime minister and other senior leaders.
However, conflicting local reports suggest he may have been targeted earlier, with some Yemeni sources claiming he died from wounds inflicted during an Israeli strike in July, while others maintain he was critically injured in the August assault and lingered in intensive care before succumbing.
Al-Ghumari, who had undergone military training in Iran and with Hezbollah, played a pivotal role in developing the Houthis' ballistic missile capabilities and had survived at least two prior Israeli assassination attempts, including one in Sana'a earlier in the year.
The Houthis vowed retribution, warning that Israel would face "deterrent punishment" for what they termed ongoing aggression, even as they reported conducting over 758 operations against Israeli and allied targets since the Gaza war began.
