When did King Khalid International Airport reopen for international flights, and which terminals resumed service?

The airport said terminals 1 and 2 reopened on Sunday for domestic and international flights. It had resumed limited domestic flights the previous week.

Why did Israeli forces launch a large operation in the occupied West Bank before the election?

The operation followed an attack in Hebron on Friday that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three. The military also announced restrictions on Palestinian workers with permits and said several crossings would remain closed until after Tuesday’s election.

Saudi Arabia reopens airport as attacks by Houthi rebels persist

Q: How could Israelis living abroad participate in the election, and what is known about their potential impact?

The AID Coalition said tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad were expected to fly to Israel to vote, since citizens generally must vote in person, with narrow exceptions for diplomats and certain official emissaries. The article said their effect was unclear, though many liberal Israelis who oppose Benjamin Netanyahu had left the country in recent years.

Listen

Summary

Saudi Arabia reopened terminals 1 and 2 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh for domestic and international flights on Sunday, more than two weeks after Houthi strikes put the facility out of service. The reopening came as the Houthis continued firing drones and missiles toward the Saudi capital, and Saudi forces said they intercepted a ballistic missile and a drone. Separately, Israeli forces conducted a large operation in the occupied West Bank over the weekend, displacing hundreds of Palestinians and restricting movement ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Key Facts

The airport said terminals 1 and 2 reopened for domestic and international flights, following the resumption of limited domestic service the previous week.
Early Sunday, Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi-fired ballistic missile and drone.
Houthi strikes in early October hit a complex housing two other airport terminals, killing 17 people and wounding more than 330.
The West Bank operation followed a Friday attack in Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three.
Israel has more than 7.3 million registered voters, and Israeli law generally requires citizens to vote in person in the country, with narrow exceptions for diplomats and certain official emissaries abroad.

By AP

Published Oct 25, 2026 4:57 pm KST

An air traffic control tower is seen at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Sept. 19. AFP-Yonhap

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia reopened its main airport for international flights, more than two weeks after deadly strikes by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels knocked the facility out of service. Earlier Sunday, the kingdom said it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone fired by the Houthis.

A massive Israeli military operation underway this weekend in the occupied West Bank — in response to an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three in Hebron on Friday — has displaced hundreds of Palestinians over the weekend and put major restrictions on Palestinian movement.

It comes just days ahead of Israel's tense election on Tuesday, a vote widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the wars and the hard-right turn Israel has taken both domestically and on the world stage.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Sunday. Read our full coverage here.

Riyadh reopens its international airport as Houthi attacks persist

The King Khalid International Airport said it has opened terminals 1 and 2 for domestic and international flights, starting Sunday.

The airport announcement came as the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen continued to fire drones and missiles toward the Saudi capital.

Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and a drone fired by the Houthis early on Sunday.

In early October, Houthi strikes hit a complex housing two other terminals, killing 17 people and wounding over 330.

Last week, the Riyadh airport opened to limited domestic flights.

Israeli soldiers take up positions during an army operation in the West Bank city of Hebron, Oct. 24. AP-Yonhap

Israel's military conducts a large operation in the West Bank ahead of elections

The Israeli military carried out a massive military operation in the occupied West Bank over the weekend, displacing hundreds of Palestinians and placing major restrictions on Palestinian movement.

The operations came in response to an attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three in the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday.

The operation comes as Israel enters the final days before a tense election, the first since the 2023 Hamas-led attacks and ensuing wars in the region.

The vote is largely seen as a referendum on current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and security policies during the past three years of war.

The Israeli military announced early Sunday that most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli communities for work in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and Monday, and several crossings will also remain closed until after Israel’s elections on Tuesday.

Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are to fly home for a pivotal election

The AID Coalition, a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on strengthening Israel’s democracy, says tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are expected to fly in for the vote.

Israeli law generally requires citizens to vote in person in the country, with narrow exceptions for diplomats and certain official emissaries abroad.

Israel has more than 7.3 million registered voters, but polling suggests a tight race. Previous elections have turned on thin margins. It’s unclear what effect these voters from abroad might have, but many liberal Israelis who don’t support Netanyahu have left the country in recent years, suggesting that those returning to cast ballots would not support him.

Explore More