Saudi Arabia, Jordan Call for Protecting Palestinians from Israeli Attacks

Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded person at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque on May 1, 2021. (AFP)
Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded person at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque on May 1, 2021. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia, Jordan Call for Protecting Palestinians from Israeli Attacks

Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded person at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque on May 1, 2021. (AFP)
Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded person at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque on May 1, 2021. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia and Jordan called on Tuesday for effective international efforts to protect Palestinians from Israeli attacks and violations.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi held a telephone call to emphasize the need of develop an effective international effort to protect the Palestinians from Israeli attacks and violations. They also discussed boosting their bilateral relations.

The statement said the two ministers condemned "illegal Israeli practices", warning that continued Israeli aggression and the eviction of Palestinian families from their homes will have consequences on the regional security and stability.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia categorically rejected the forced displacement of Jerusalemites from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

The Saudi statement came during the emergency virtual meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held upon the request of Palestine.

The meeting, chaired by Niger, discussed the situation in Palestine following the recent brutal attacks by the Israeli forces on the Palestinian people, especially in Jerusalem.

The Kingdom's permanent OIC representative, Saleh al-Suhaibani, indicated that Saudi Arabia's continuous support for the Palestinians stems from its deep belief in the just Palestinian cause.

Suhaibani asserted the need to intensify international efforts to end this conflict in order to allow the Palestinians to recover their legitimate rights and establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The representative underscored Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the plans and measures carried out by Israeli forces aimed at evicting Palestinians from their homes in Jerusalem by force and imposing sovereignty over them.

He warned that such measures will have consequences, condemning at the same time any unilateral measures and any Israeli decisions that violate international resolutions and agreements.

Saudi Arabia stressed it will continue to defend the Palestinian cause regionally and internationally, foremost of which at the UN Security Council, to confront Israeli practices that threaten international peace and security and undermine efforts aimed at promoting stability in the region.

Suhaibani renewed the Kingdom’s support of the Palestinian people, their just cause, their legitimate rights and all the efforts aimed at reaching a fair and comprehensive solution to the conflict.

Saudi Arabia called on the international community to take immediate action to put an end to the Israeli violations and help the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights in establishing security and safety and achieving economic growth that allows them to live a decent life.

For its part, the OIC condemned Israel’s persistence in pursuing its colonial program in building settlements and seeking to forcibly seize Palestinian properties and displace them from their land.

The meeting also denounced the attacks against the residents of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods of Jerusalem, describing them as flagrant violations of international humanitarian law.

In a speech, OIC Secretary-General Dr. Yousef al-Othaimeen praised the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and their response to the Israeli attacks on the holy sites, especially al-Aqsa Mosque.

Othaimeen renewed the organization’s commitment to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to end the occupation, gain freedom and independence and establish a sovereign independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.



Gulf Defenses Destroy 12 Ballistic Missiles, 50 Drones as 3 Soldiers Wounded in Kuwait

Smoke rises above Dubai on March 13, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke rises above Dubai on March 13, 2026. (AFP)
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Gulf Defenses Destroy 12 Ballistic Missiles, 50 Drones as 3 Soldiers Wounded in Kuwait

Smoke rises above Dubai on March 13, 2026. (AFP)
Smoke rises above Dubai on March 13, 2026. (AFP)

Defenses in the Gulf downed on Saturday 12 ballistic missiles and 50 drones fired at civilian locations and vital facilities in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait as the US-Israeli war on Iran entered its third week.

Meanwhile, two drone attacks on the Ahmed Al-Jaber Base in Kuwait wounded three members of the armed forces and left material damage.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi defense destroyed 12 drones in the Eastern Region and one in each of the Empty Quarter and al-Jawf, said official Defense Ministry spokesman Turki Al-Malki.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates reported a new missile attack Sunday morning, a day after Iran called for the evacuation of three major UAE ports, threatening for the first time a neighboring country’s non-US assets.

Tehran accused the United States of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports, without providing evidence, as the war showed no signs of ending.

Earlier, UAE defenses intercepted nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones fired from Iran.

The attacks have left six people dead, including Emiratis and nationals from Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. A total of 141 injuries have been reported among citizens and residents.

The Defense Ministry stressed that the armed forces were on the highest alert level to handle any threats and firmly confront anything that may harm the country’s security, in order to protect its sovereignty, stability and national interests.

The UAE strongly condemned the unprovoked terrorist drone attack that targeted the UAE Consulate General in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for the second time in a week.

The attack resulted in injuries to two security personnel and damage to the consulate building.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that targeting diplomatic missions and premises constitutes a flagrant violation of international norms and laws, particularly the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic premises and the protection of diplomatic personnel. Such acts represent a dangerous escalation and a threat to regional security and stability.

The UAE has called on the Iraqi government and the government of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to investigate the circumstances surrounding this attack, identify those responsible, and take all necessary measures to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable.

The Ministry reiterated the UAE’s firm rejection of terrorist attacks aimed at undermining security and stability, emphasizing the need to protect diplomatic premises, missions, and their personnel in accordance with international laws and norms.

UAE Attorney-General Dr. Hamad Saif Al Shamsi ordered the arrest of 25 individuals of various nationalities for publishing misleading content on digital platforms that harms national defense measures and glorifies acts of military aggression against the State.

They have been referred for an expedited trial.

The move follows rigorous monitoring of digital platforms to combat the spread of fabricated information and artificial content intended to incite public disorder and undermine general stability.

Al Shamsi said that exploiting cyberspace to circulate misleading content and footage that harms public security or compromises the state’s defensive capabilities is a criminal offense. This is particularly critical given the military aggression currently faced by the state, and such behavior will be met with firm legal action.

Kuwait

Drones hit Kuwait’s international airport. The drone attack Saturday night hit the airport’s radar system, Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.

Flights there have been halted since the start of the war.

Three members of the Kuwaiti army sustained minor injuries when two drones damaged the Ahmed Al-Jaber air base on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Kuwait’s air defense system intercepted another three drones, and two drones fell outside what the ministry called “the threat area” and posed no danger.

Early in the war, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire during an Iranian attack. Kuwait is also where six US soldiers were killed in a drone strike on a command center.

Bahrain

Bahrain announced that it has intercepted 124 missiles and 203 drones since the start of the conflict.

Three rockets and 10 drones were downed on Saturday.

Authorities urged people to stay at home and that they should leave only when necessary. They must steer clear of damaged location or any suspicious objects. They are also prohibited from filming or photographing military operations or locations where debris and shrapnel have landed.

Qatar

Qatari’s Interior Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani underscored the stability and stability of the country.

The safety of anyone residing in the country is a “red line” and a “priority in every step we take,” he added during a televised interview on Friday.


Bahrain Arrests 6 for Sympathizing with Iran Attacks

Legal procedures have been taken and the detainees have been referred to the Public Prosecution. (BNA)
Legal procedures have been taken and the detainees have been referred to the Public Prosecution. (BNA)
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Bahrain Arrests 6 for Sympathizing with Iran Attacks

Legal procedures have been taken and the detainees have been referred to the Public Prosecution. (BNA)
Legal procedures have been taken and the detainees have been referred to the Public Prosecution. (BNA)

Bahrain announced on Saturday the arrest of six people for posting videos related to the effects of the Iranian attacks, expressing sympathy with it and glorifying its hostile acts, as well as spreading false news and inciting the targeting of sites in the kingdom.

The videos were circulated through their social media accounts, which could mislead public opinion, spread fear among citizens and residents, and harm security and public order, said the Ministry of Interior’s Anti-Cybercrime Directorate at the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption, Economic and Electronic Security

Legal procedures have been taken and the detainees have been referred to the Public Prosecution.

The ministry urged everyone to obtain information from official sources and not to circulate or repost unverified videos or news, to avoid legal accountability and preserve the nation’s security and safety.


Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Sultan of Oman on Death of Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (SPA)
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Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Sultan of Oman on Death of Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (SPA)

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, held a phone call on Saturday with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman, during which he conveyed his condolences and sympathy on the passing of Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said.

The Crown Prince prayed that Allah Almighty grant the deceased His mercy and forgiveness.

Sultan Haitham expressed his appreciation to the Crown Prince for his heartfelt fraternal sentiments and the solidarity conveyed in this message of condolence.