Israel has killed 12 senior Houthi figures. Has this weakened the rebel group?
A fireball rises from the site of the Israeli air strike in Sanaa. (Reuters: Stringer)
Last week, Israel assassinated 12 senior Houthi figures — including their prime minister — in a strike on Yemen's capital of Sanaa.
Thousands of mourners attended a funeral for the slain officials on Monday, chanting the Houthi slogan:
God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.
Thousands of mourners attended a funeral for the Houthi government officials. (Reuters: Khaled Abdullah)
Meanwhile, Mohammed Miftah, the now de facto head of the Houthi government, vowed revenge.
Experts say this latest attack from Israel is a "significant blow" to the Iran-backed rebel group.
But how much has it actually weakened the Houthis?
Here's what we know.
Loading...What happened?
Israel launched the dramatic strike on Thursday, local time.
It targeted a group of senior officials who had gathered to watch a televised speech recorded by the movement's ultimate leader, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi has vowed revenge on Israel. (Reuters: Houthi Media Center)
The Middle East Institute's Nadwa Al Dawsari said the strikes signalled a "shift" in Israel's strategy in Yemen from primarily striking infrastructure to "actively targeting" Houthi leadership.
Who was killed in the strike?
Almost the entire Houthi cabinet was wiped out in the strike.
This included the group's prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi.
Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in the Israeli strike. (Reuters: Khaled Abdullah)
However, it remains unclear if Israel's primary targets — chief of staff Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari and powerful defence minister Mohamed al-Atifi — were killed.
Top leader Al-Houthi also wasn't among the casualties.
Why did Israel launch the attack?
The strikes were in retaliation for the Houthis' August 22 launch of a ballistic missile towards Israel — the group's first use of a cluster bomb during the current conflict with Israel, according to the IDF.
The Houthis have previously launched attacks on Israel and ships in the Red Sea in relation to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz warned this latest attack was "just the beginning", adding "the Houthis will learn the hard way that whoever threatens and harms Israel will be harmed sevenfold".
How much has this strike weakened the Houthis?
The Houthis' top decision-makers weren't among those killed in the strike, according to Ms Al Dawsari.
Nevertheless, she said the annihilation of nearly the entire cabinet represented "a significant blow" to the rebel group.
"It exposes the Houthis' vulnerabilities and shatters the image of strength the group seeks to project,"she said.
"It demonstrates that Israel now possesses the intelligence and operational reach to target Houthi leaders inside Yemen with precision."
Experts say the strike may prompt a brief reduction in Houthi activity. (Reuters: Khaled Abdullah)
Australian National University international relations expert Charles Miller said the strike might prompt a brief reduction in Houthi activity.
"But in the long run, I can't really see it having much of an effect because they're such a well-established group,"he said.
A dozen Houthi government officials were killed in the Israeli strike. (Reuters: Khaled Abdullah)
How have the Houthis responded?
The strike has left the Houthis paranoid about leaks, according to Ms Al Dawsari.
She said the group would likely launch "frantic internal hunts", draining resources and sowing distrust.
"Local sources already report that the group has arrested several of its own members suspected of passing information to Israel,"she said.
A Houthi leader has vowed further attacks in response to the Israeli strike. (Reuters: Khaled Abdullah)
Dr Miller agreed.
"That's one of the reasons why countries like Israel do strikes like this because it starts to set people against one another," he said.
However, Ms Al Dawsari said this strike would not neutralise the Houthis for long.
"Instead, the group will weaponise [the strike] to tighten repression, indoctrinate children, justify forced recruitment and sustain its narrative of perpetual war," Ms Al Dawsari said.
"These steps will strengthen the group over time."
An honour guard holds photos of the government officials killed in an Israeli strike. (Reuters: Khaled Abdullah)
What's next?
The Houthis have vowed revenge.
"Our military approach to targeting the Israeli enemy, whether with missiles, drones or the naval blockade, is a continuous, steady and escalating one," Al-Houthi said in a speech following the strike.
Meanwhile, Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this was "only the beginning" of Israel's campaign to eliminate senior Houthi officials, according to a Times of Israel report.
"We will reach all of them,"he said.