13 dead in Yemen market strikes

Thirteen people died when Saudi-led airstrikes struck a crowded market in al-Hazm, Yemen, on Wednesday. The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that 16 others were wounded, including three women. The strikes hit a central market area near a gas station while shoppers were present. Nearby shops and houses suffered heavy damage. The ministry labeled the attack a war crime and demanded an international investigation.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government did not issue an immediate statement. In the southern city of Aden, an Associated Press reporter witnessed explosions that shattered windows at the airport and in nearby homes. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree had urged everyone to evacuate the airport. Saree claimed a Saudi military cargo plane carrying weapons was on the tarmac, though he offered no evidence.

Yemeni officials are asking the international community to protect civilians in Taiz. The city is under a tightening siege by Houthi rebels. Taiz has become a major battlefront in recent weeks. It serves as a gateway to the country's south and has absorbed about half of Yemen's displaced population. Governor Nabil Shamsan said residents lost access to roughly 3 million liters of water from wells in Wadi al-Dhubab. Those wells are now under Houthi control. The Associated Press could not independently verify that figure.

Eshraq al-Maqtari, the legal affairs minister, stated that more than 2,000 projectiles and explosives hit Taiz city districts in recent days. He called for measures to cut off Houthi weapon supplies and funding. Shamsan said fighting intensified as rebels deployed reinforcements to multiple fronts. The city is now encircled on all four sides.

In southern Gaza, two Israeli strikes killed one person and wounded at least six others on Wednesday. Health officials at Nasser Hospital said the first strike killed a man and critically wounded a woman. A second strike wounded at least five others. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment. More than 1,550 Palestinians have been killed since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire began in October 2025, according to the territory's health ministry.

In Belgrade, Serbia, a police officer shot and killed a man who attacked him with a knife outside the Israeli Embassy. The incident occurred just after midnight on Wednesday. Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said police are treating the event as a terrorist attack. He raised the terror threat to the highest level and increased police presence at key locations. Dacic described the attacker as a minor carrying two knives. The assailant shouted Allahu Akbar while attacking the officer from an elite unit.

The police officer sustained a slight wound to the face. Dacic said the officer killed the assailant in self-defense. In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hailed a recent meeting with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey as a step toward dialogue. Araghchi said the four nations should be responsible for their own security without the military presence of extraregional powers. He provided no further details on the talks.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke by phone with his Saudi and Emirati counterparts to discuss containing the regional crisis. Abdelatty discussed political solutions with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE. Egypt approved military support for Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks earlier this week. The decision was made by the country’s highest security body and then approved by lawmakers in a closed-door vote.