Saudi grand mufti makes rare call to troops as Houthi attacks intensify

Saudi Arabia's grand mufti made a rare appeal for troops to defend the kingdom as Houthi attacks increased. The call underscored widening regional strain, with fresh deaths in Gaza and renewed focus on UNRWA's role.Stock photo used for illustrationDubai,Sep 25, 2026 16:04 ISTSaudi Arabia's top cleric has issued a rare appeal to the kingdom's troops, urging them to be ready to defend the country against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, as attacks on Saudi oil sites, cities and ships off its coast increase.Elsewhere in West Asia, Israel's military said two soldiers were killed in Gaza while inspecting an unexploded Israeli drone, while the wars in Iran and Gaza dominated the agenda at the UN General Assembly in New York, where the leaders of Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt were due to address the United Nations later on Friday.In a strongly worded statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency late on Thursday, Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan addressed soldiers guarding the kingdom's borders and members of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen. The statement was unusual as al-Fawzan traditionally avoids weighing in on politics in a country with wide influence across the Muslim world.Using Quranic verses and religious edicts, he said: "Protecting this great nation, guarding its borders, defending against aggression and punishing those who want to harm any inch of it is one of the greatest duties ... where lives are sacrificed for the sake of God." Saudi Arabia has said it intercepted a number of missiles launched at the kingdom, but has struggled, along with its allies, to contain the Houthis. In Gaza, Israel's military said two soldiers, Ofek Moalem and Nadav Kali, were killed in northern Gaza on Thursday near a military post while inspecting an unexploded Israeli drone. The drone exploded as they approached it, the military said on Friday. They were taken to a hospital, where they were declared dead. The military described it as "a serious safety incident" and said the matter was under investigation.The military said they were the first Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza in months. Previously, five Israeli soldiers have been killed since last October's ceasefire, which sought to halt a war of more than two years between Israel and the militant Hamas group. Although the heaviest fighting has eased, the ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire. Israeli forces have also carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently opened fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing 1,408 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. On the humanitarian front, the UN agency for Palestinians has held behind-the-scenes meetings with officials from the US-created Board of Peace, even though the board has said UNRWA will have no role in a future Gaza. Publicly, the agency has not been included in the board's planning for Gaza after the war, but Philippe Lazzarini told The Associated Press that members of a Palestinian technocratic committee were clear they wanted to work with the agency."They know that if you get completely rid of the agency today, it might have a further additional devastating impact on the population," Lazzarini said. The developments reflect UNRWA's continuing role in responding to Gaza's humanitarian crisis during the fragile ceasefire, even as Israel has sought to marginalise it. Israel alleges the agency has been infiltrated by Hamas militants, claims the International Court of Justice has said have not been substantiated. The latest developments across West Asia centred on Saudi Arabia's border security concerns, the deaths of two Israeli soldiers in Gaza, and continuing questions over UNRWA's place in Gaza's future.With PTI Inputs- Ends