Israel's army radio said on Friday the military had targeted the Houthi chief of staff and the Iran-aligned group's defense minister on Thursday and was awaiting confirmation on the outcome of the strike.

An Israeli military official said fighter jets struck a compound in the Sanaa area where senior Houthi figures had gathered, describing the attack as a "complex operation" made possible by intelligence-gathering and air superiority.

"We took advantage of an intelligence window of opportunity to carry out the strike and acted with precision and speed at the right moment," the official said in a statement.

On Thursday, Israeli security sources said forces had targeted various locations where a large number of senior Houthi officials had gathered to watch a televised speech recorded by leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

They have also fired missiles toward Israel, most of which have been intercepted. Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.

The Houthi group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

A source from the Houthi defense ministry had denied on Thursday reports of leaders being targeted in Sanaa, the news agency run by the group reported.