A damaged building collapses in Gaza, killing at least 12 people and other Mideast developments

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A building housing displaced Palestinian families collapsed in Gaza City on Wednesday, killing at least 12 people, including four children. The multistory structure was heavily damaged during the Israel-Hamas war and there had been warnings about its safety.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said late on Tuesday that its air defenses, which have been fending off attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, had intercepted a drone that the kingdom said was headed toward its holy city of Mecca.

Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

A damaged building in Gaza City housing about six displaced families collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing at least 12 people and injuring 15, according to Shifa Hospital. At least four children were among the dead.

Dozens of people remained missing or trapped under the rubble and video showed civil defense crews surveying the wreckage and using bulldozers to dig out people, including children.

The building had been partially destroyed in an Israeli strike earlier in the war. It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse, but in Gaza — where the majority of buildings have been damaged or destroyed — dozens of multistory structures have collapsed throughout the war, particularly during winter weather.

Building collapses have become a major hazard in Gaza. Displaced families have often returned from tent camps to homes damaged by bombardment during the almost three years of war.

Saudi military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said the kingdom's defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone on Tuesday evening before it entered the airspace over Mecca, Islam’s holiest city and a focal point for followers of the faith.

Mecca is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the location of the Kaaba, the black cube-shaped structure that Muslims around the world turn to five times a day when praying. Muslims believe Muhammad first received God’s revelations of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, in Mecca.

The security of the holy city is “a red line,” al-Malki said, adding that Saudi forces will not hesitate to act against “hostile and terrorist behavior.”

The Iran-backed Houthis in neighboring Yemen denied targeting Mecca. But the allegation drew condemnations throughout the Islamic world, including from Pakistan and the 57-country Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.