Saudi Arabia says it thwarted a missile strike on Medina, and other Middle East developments

Saudi Arabia's coalition fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels thwarted a missile attack on the holy city of Medina on Thursday, according to their statement. The coalition did not assign blame for the attack. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike in Gaza killed one person, according to hospital officials. The strike took place north of Gaza City and was attributed to a "terrorist" by Israeli military.

The Houthi rebels denied responsibility for the attack on Medina, which they had previously pledged not to carry out. The strike comes a year after a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas, during which Israel continued to launch strikes on the Palestinian territory. Over 1,500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire in October last year.

In Syria, a court sentenced two people to death and three others to prison terms for their roles in sectarian violence in the country's coastal region last year. The violence erupted in March 2025 when loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad attacked members of the new government's security forces in areas where Alawites, a religious minority, reside.

The government's counterinsurgency spiraled into widespread violence, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, mostly Alawites.