Ex-Attorney General Testifies in Netanyahu Corruption Trial

Israel's former attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, took the witness stand Sunday in the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mandelblit, who was appointed by Netanyahu and whose tenure ended in 2022, indicted the prime minister seven years ago on charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes.

Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, was present in court for Mandelblit's testimony. The charges, the first of their kind against a sitting Israeli prime minister, stem from allegations that Netanyahu offered or exchanged favors with wealthy associates and media moguls for political gain.

The proceedings come weeks before national elections.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia was on high alert Sunday following a deadly attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels allegedly carried out the strike on Saturday, which killed 12 people and wounded over 300. The Houthis, who have not claimed responsibility for this specific attack but have claimed previous deadly strikes on the Riyadh airport, issued warnings of further airstrikes across the kingdom.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, urged "everyone to take our warnings seriously." This incident marks a significant escalation in the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and complicates international efforts to halt the wider Iran-U.S. tensions.

In Gaza, residents returned to their homes Sunday to survey damage from Israeli strikes that occurred after they were warned to evacuate. Bassam Abed reported that at least 10 residences housing approximately 300 families were destroyed, stating that families were not given sufficient time to evacuate. The Israeli military asserted that it targeted militant infrastructure, including weapons storage facilities, a rocket launch site, and a command center used by Hamas. These strikes follow a year after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, with Israel continuing near-daily strikes.

Separately, the White House has officially lifted a decades-old ban on direct flights between the U.S. and Lebanon, fulfilling a commitment made by President Donald Trump in July. Direct flights were suspended in 1985. U.S. carriers may be hesitant to resume services due to regional air traffic disruptions and concerns over Hezbollah's influence. The Lebanese embassy in Washington welcomed the move as a significant step toward resuming direct flights, and the U.S. embassy in Beirut stated it would facilitate family visits and business investment.