The Saudi-led coalition announced Thursday it had thwarted a missile attack targeting the holy city of Medina and intercepted a drone over the kingdom's Eastern Province. The coalition, engaged in conflict with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, did not assign blame for the missile strike.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis' military spokesperson, denied any involvement in the Medina attack. The Houthi group had previously pledged not to target airports in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. This comes as the international airport in Riyadh has suspended service due to Houthi attacks.
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis escalated last month after the rebels seized territory along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial route for Gulf oil shipments. The Saudi-led coalition is working to reclaim these areas.
In Israel, a former chief of the country's domestic security service has filed a defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ronen Bar, formerly head of the Shin Bet agency, is seeking 3 million shekels ($965,000), alleging Netanyahu falsely accused him of withholding warnings about Hamas threats prior to the October 7, 2023, attack. Netanyahu had claimed Bar was aware of the Hamas threat but did not inform him or other security officials.
Bar called the accusations "blood libel," asserting he had briefed Netanyahu's top military advisors and the army in the hours before the attack. He also stated that warnings and recommendations from his agency in the months preceding the attack were "consistently disregarded" by the prime minister. This lawsuit emerges as Israelis prepare for general elections, with the events of October 7 and intelligence failures a central focus.
Meanwhile, officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza reported that an Israeli strike north of Gaza City killed one man on Thursday. The Israeli military stated it targeted a "terrorist" in the area.
Separately, Turkey's Defense Ministry confirmed that a mutual defense pact between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, along with any potential deployment of Turkish forces under the agreement, requires parliamentary approval. The three nations signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August, and Turkish officials have indicated the pact is defensive in nature, ruling out the deployment of combat troops.
The European Union and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have postponed their planned October 24 summit in Riyadh. The GCC secretary-general cited Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia and the need to "ensure the safety of participating delegations" as reasons for the delay. The summit was slated to address maritime security in the Red Sea, energy investments, and energy price stabilization.