Sanaa, Sep 18: Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi rejected accusations that his group had attempted to attack the Islamic holy city of Mecca, calling the allegation “fabrication and misinformation” amid escalating hostilities with Saudi Arabia.

In a televised address carried by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, al-Houthi on Thursday said claims that Houthi forces had targeted Mecca were a “lie,” arguing that the accusation was being used to mobilize broader support for what he described as “military measures imposed on Yemen.”

Al-Houthi also accused Saudi Arabia of failing to advance a political settlement during the period of relative calm preceding the latest escalation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Instead, he said, restrictions affecting Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen had been tightened, with limitations on airport operations and imports remaining among the key unresolved issues.

Al-Houthi called on supporters across Yemen to hold mass demonstrations on Friday to reject what he described as Saudi “fabrications and slander.”

His remarks came a day after Saudi Arabia publicly accused the Houthis of launching a drone toward Mecca. The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces intercepted and destroyed the drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, before it entered the holy city’s restricted airspace.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki described the security of Islam’s two holiest sites and pilgrims as a “red line” and said necessary measures would be taken in response. He said the incident was the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca, following what the coalition described as a ballistic missile attack on July 27, 2017.

The exchange comes amid a widening confrontation, with the Houthis making major gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait since Sept. 3, while stepping up missile and drone attacks on Saudi military and oil facilities. The Houthis, meanwhile, say Saudi warplanes have intensified airstrikes across Yemen.

Yemen’s conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

Jerusalem, Sep 17: Extending warm greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday lauded the Indian leader for transforming India into a world power.

Netanyahu also underscored the growing ties between India and Israel, describing it as an “unprecedented partnership” between two great democracies.

“Happy birthday, Narendra! Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Your leadership has transformed India into a world power. Together, we have built an unprecedented partnership between our two great democracies. The friendship between Israel and India has never been stronger, and together we will take it to even greater heights. I wish you many more years of leadership, health and fulfillment,” the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel posted on X, quoting Netanyahu.

Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended birthday wishes to Prime Minister Modi and appreciated his contribution to strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

The Russian Embassy in India shared President Putin’s message for PM Modi on Instagram. In the message, President Putin expressed gratitude to PM Modi for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him during his recent visit to New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit.

‘You are rightly enjoying deep respect from your compatriots and great authority on the global stage. It is impossible to overstate your personal contribution to strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia,” the Russian Embassy in India posted on Instagram.

According to the statement, President Putin described his recent talks with PM Modi as “substantive, frank and productive” and said he is ready to continue cooperation between the two nations on bilateral and international issues.

As greetings continue to pour in for Prime Minister Modi’s 76th birthday, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit also extended heartfelt wishes to the Indian leader, wishing him good health and strength in his service to the nation.

“On behalf of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica, I extend warm birthday wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. May the year ahead bring you good health and continued strength in service to the people of India,” Skerrit posted on X.

Several foreign envoys and diplomatic missions in India also extended warm birthday greetings to Prime Minister Modi, highlighting the enduring ties and close partnerships between India and their respective countries.

Gaza, Sep 17: The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in western Gaza City rose to 21, including 11 children and six women, with more than 25 injured, local officials and residents have said.

The six-storey Al-Saada building, previously damaged by Israeli bombardment, collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday near the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), according to civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal on Wednesday (local time).

The building housed about 100 displaced people, residents said.

Basal said rescue teams saved 45 people and recovered 21 bodies during a 16-hour operation.

Another 35 managed to escape, he added.

Dozens of grieving relatives gathered outside the collapsed building, some digging with bare hands, reports Xinhua news agency.

Louay al-Ajla, 54, lost nearly 10 family members in the collapse.

“I received the news at dawn. It was devastating,” al-Ajla said.

Palestinian authorities blamed Israel for restricting heavy machinery and equipment needed for rescue efforts.

The Hamas-run media office in Gaza said in a statement that more than 8,500 missing people remained buried beneath rubble across the Gaza Strip due to difficulties in bringing in heavy machinery and rescue equipment, calling thousands of damaged buildings “ticking time bombs.”

Basal added that more than 2,000 residential buildings risk collapse as winter approaches, calling on the so-called “Board of Peace” and ceasefire-guaranteeing countries to facilitate equipment entry, warning of “imminent disasters.”

The collapse occurred amid continued ceasefire violations, with no progress in talks between Hamas and Israel despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025.