Shock and defiance in Sanaa after Israeli assassination of Houthi officials

As the sun rose on Monday, thousands gathered at al-Sabeen Square in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, for the mass funeral of senior Houthi officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi. The 12 officials had been killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday afternoon.

At the funeral, caskets draped in the Yemeni flag were carried on military vehicles before crowds of officials and citizens.

Shock, sorrow, anger, and defiance marked the faces of participants. The strike was the first to sow such widespread confusion and grief in regions under Houthi control.

While Israel has targeted Houthi-held areas for more than a year, Thursday’s attack was particularly devastating, with more than half of cabinet members in the Sanaa government killed .

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strike was "a crushing blow" against the Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, warning that "this is only the beginning".

Read more: Shock and defiance in Sanaa after Israeli assassination of Houthi officials