MECCA: Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca was placed under an emergency alert for the first time, warning of a possible aerial attack as fighting between Saudi forces and Yemen’s Houthi rebel group intensified.
The alert was lifted within minutes, but the incident has triggered concern and anger across parts of the Muslim world while highlighting the wider tensions surrounding the conflict in the region.
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The development has also raised questions about the much-discussed security understanding involving Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, particularly after Pakistan reportedly stepped back from direct involvement in the conflict.
Israel-Saudi Talks Reported
Amid the escalating threat, Israeli media have reported that Saudi Arabia and Israel held discussions through the US Central Command (CENTCOM), with Riyadh seeking Israeli assistance in countering Houthi attacks.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the reported talks focused primarily on intelligence cooperation. Saudi Arabia was said to be seeking information that could help it build a broader picture of Houthi military deployments and assess potential plans for future attacks or operations.
The reported contact is notable because Saudi Arabia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations.
Saudi Arabia Yet to Join Abraham Accords
Saudi Arabia has not joined the Abraham Accords, the US-backed agreements that established or normalised relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
Riyadh has maintained that formal normalisation with Israel would require a clear and irreversible pathway towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties, the reported security discussions indicate that regional security concerns may be creating limited areas of practical engagement between the two countries.
The reports of Saudi Arabia seeking Israeli intelligence support come as the kingdom faces an intensified threat from the Houthis, who have previously carried out missile and drone attacks against Saudi territory.
The brief emergency alert in Mecca has added a new dimension to the situation, given the city’s exceptional religious significance for Muslims worldwide.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
