A building housing displaced Palestinian families collapsed in Gaza City on Wednesday, killing at least 21 people, and Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone headed toward the holy city of Mecca.
Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East on Wednesday. Full coverage can be found here.
Rescuers search through rubble for survivors
The Gaza City building that collapsed had been partially destroyed in an Israeli strike earlier in the war. At least 21 people, including 11 children, died Wednesday, said Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse. At least 14 were injured, al-Wahidi said.
Such incidents have become a major hazard in Gaza, where the majority of buildings have been damaged or destroyed. There’s been no reconstruction work since the ceasefire from nearly a year ago. Israel has said that it won’t allow any rebuilding until Hamas disarms.
Saudi Arabia says drone shot down near Mecca
Saudi Arabia said the kingdom’s defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone Tuesday evening before it entered the airspace over Mecca, Islam’s holiest city and a focal point for followers of the faith.
Mecca’s security is “a red line,” military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said, adding that Saudi forces will not hesitate to act against “hostile and terrorist behavior.”
Saudi Arabia blamed the Iran-backed Houthis in neighboring Yemen for the drone. The Houthis denied it. But the allegation drew condemnations of the armed group from throughout the Islamic world.
Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the location of the Kaaba, the black cube-shaped structure that Muslims around the world turn to five times a day when praying.
More oil tankers appear to transit critical waterway
Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have recovered somewhat as tankers risk using a southern route near the coast of Oman with guidance from U.S. forces.
Estimates vary because the ships turn off their location systems, but range from 5 million to 7 million barrels per day on average, compared with 15 million barrels per day before the U.S.-Iran war began on Feb. 28.
Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline — another key oil route — was hit by a drone attack last week. The damage is expected to take weeks to repair, potentially cutting Saudi exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu by 2.5 million to 2.7 million barrels per day.
Protests in Syria halt oil trucks
Hundreds of oil trucks were stranded in northeastern Syria after demonstrators blocked a major highway near Tal Tamr to protest recent fuel price increases of 30% or more.
The government announced increases for gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products Sunday, citing rising global fuel prices as a result of the U.S.-Iran war as well as repairs being done at the Baniyas refinery on Syria’s coast.
Syria produces around 100,000 barrels of oil per day, while it needs about 325,000 barrels per day for domestic consumption and relies on imports to make up the difference.
Mourners attend funeral of Hamas figure
Dozens of people turned out for the funeral of a Hamas military chief in the southern Gaza Strip. Nael Abu Obeid was killed Tuesday in an Israeli strike on Rafah near the border with Egypt.
Obeid was commander of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam brigades, in the southern city of Rafah.
Separately, Israel’s military said it killed a Hamas military official in a Gaza airstrike last week. The military said Jihad Sameeh Mahmoud Ismail took part in the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
The Associated Press
