Saudi Airports Hit as Middle East Tensions Escalate

Saudi Arabia reported attacks on two of its airports by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, leaving three people injured. The airports in Najran and Jizan were damaged on Monday, though the Houthis also claimed they targeted a third airport, Abha International Airport, on Tuesday. Saudi authorities did not confirm the latest strike. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait, a city housing a major military base.

Fighting in Yemen persists, with clashes around the strategic town of Dhubab, which Yemen’s internationally recognized government had previously claimed to have retaken. The conflict has intensified as Saudi Arabia and its allies aim to reclaim Houthi-controlled territory near the Red Sea to secure oil exports.

In other developments, an outbound tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile,” though no casualties or environmental damage were reported. Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City killed two people, which Israel’s military said were militants. The strikes come as Israel prepares to mark the third anniversary of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, which triggered a war that has since claimed over 1,460 Palestinian lives.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a potential Hamas attack ahead of the country’s upcoming elections, though he provided no evidence. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers allegedly attacked a Palestinian photojournalist in the West Bank, injuring him and stealing his camera. The Foreign Press Association called for an investigation into why soldiers present did not intervene. Additionally, Israeli authorities demolished a five-story building in east Jerusalem, citing unpermitted construction, a practice Palestinians say is nearly impossible to obtain.