Sanaa — Yemen’s Houthi movement held a high-profile funeral on Monday for its military Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month. The ceremony took place in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa, drawing thousands of supporters and senior Houthi officials in a display of defiance and mourning.

Al-Ghamari, a top commander in the Iran-backed group, reportedly died from wounds sustained in an Israeli strike targeting Houthi leadership in late August. The attack also claimed the lives of several senior figures, including the Houthi-appointed prime minister and al-Ghamari’s 13-year-old son.

Houthi media described al-Ghamari’s death as a “heroic martyrdom in the battle against the Zionist enemy,” vowing retaliation and continued resistance. “The rounds of conflict with the enemy have not ended,” a military statement read. “The Zionist enemy will receive its deterrent punishment for the crimes it has committed”.

The funeral procession featured chants against Israel and the United States, with mourners carrying posters of al-Ghamari and waving Houthi flags. The group has intensified its rhetoric and attacks in the Red Sea region since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023, targeting Israeli-linked vessels and drawing international condemnation.

Al-Ghamari had previously been sanctioned by the United Nations for his role in orchestrating Houthi military operations. His death marks a significant blow to the group’s command structure amid escalating regional tensions.

The Israeli government confirmed the strike, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating, “Another chief of terror has been eliminated. We will reach all of them”.

The funeral underscores the growing entanglement of Yemen’s conflict with broader Middle Eastern dynamics, as the Houthis continue to position themselves as part of the regional axis opposing Israel and Western influence.