Gaza , September 17 – A damaged building housing displaced Palestinian families collapsed in Gaza City on Wednesday killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 25, while Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a drone headed toward Mecca.
Zaher al-Wahidi a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry said at least eight children and five women were among those killed. The death toll could rise as rescue workers continue searching the rubble.
The building had been partially damaged in an Israeli strike earlier in the war but it was not immediately clear what caused its collapse. Similar damaged structures have collapsed in Gaza where much of the building infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed during the nearly three-year war.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said its defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone on Tuesday evening before it entered the airspace over Mecca, Islam’s holiest city.
Saudi military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki described Mecca’s security as a “red line.” The Iran-backed Houthis in neighboring Yemen denied targeting the city. Pakistan, Turkey and the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the alleged attack.
Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have partially recovered with estimates ranging from 5 million to 7 million barrels per day compared with 15 million before the US-Iran war began on Feb 28.
Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was also hit by a drone attack last week. The damage could reduce exports from Yanbu by 2.5 million to 2.7 million barrels per day although Kpler said Saudi Arabia could redirect up to 3 million barrels per day through Ras Tanura.
