Saudi Arabia rejects Israeli bid to join fight against Houthis: Israeli media

Israel seeks Riyadh’s approval through US mediation, hoping military cooperation could pave the way for normalization

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has rejected an Israeli push to join the military campaign against Yemen's Houthi group, despite efforts to secure Riyadh's approval through US mediation, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported Monday.

The daily, citing an unnamed diplomatic source, said the crown prince was not interested in Israeli military assistance, fearing that cooperation with Israel could provoke a negative reaction among the Saudi public.

Another source familiar with the matter said Israel hoped military cooperation with Saudi Arabia would strengthen bilateral ties and pave the way for a future normalisation agreement.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the report.

Read: Saudi-led coalition says Houthi ballistic missile intercepted over Riyadh

Saudi Arabia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and has maintained that normalisation depends on resolving the Palestinian issue, including the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The report comes amid escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including repeated strikes on airports that have caused casualties and disrupted flights.

An attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300 others.

Another attack on the same airport Sunday killed a Pakistani resident and injured 11 others, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Saudi capital's airport to remain shut this week as airlines cancel services

Authorities have extended the closure of Riyadh's international airport until ​Saturday and airlines scrapped flights after continuing attacks by Yemen's Houthis emptied the skies over Saudi Arabia's capital.

Operations at King Khalid International Airport, Saudi ‌Arabia's second-busiest airport after Jeddah, were suspended to "allow for the completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport's facilities", the Saudi civil aviation authority said in a statement.

Late on Monday, the Houthis said they had attacked the airport with a ballistic missile, shortly after Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the group towards ​Riyadh.

The Houthis also said in a statement that they targeted an airbase in Khamis Mushait in the kingdom's southwest with a drone. There was no ​immediate Saudi confirmation.

A Notice to Airmen issued on Monday showed King Khalid International Airport will stay closed until 0200 PKT on October ⁠17.

The attacks have now raised worries over civil aviation becoming a target in armed conflict, despite Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni forces having attacked Sanaa airport earlier in the year under the pretext of attacking Iranian planes.

"This level of sustained intense attack on civil aviation is unprecedented," said Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, a membership-based organization that provides aviation safety advice.

"I think this requires us ​to rethink how we view the current risk picture, and tread very carefully," he said.

Air traffic tracker Flightradar24 showed planes avoiding the city on Monday, though jets were ​crossing Saudi airspace and landing at top hub Jeddah on the country's west coast.

Cancellations across all Saudi airports reached 46.4%, aviation analytics firm Cirium said.

Crisis overshadows Saudi business outlook

The disruption has ‌forced airlines ⁠across Europe and Asia to suspend services, while the Federal Aviation Administration advised US carriers on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia. EU aviation body EASA widened a Saudi airspace warning on Friday, citing missile and drone attacks.

"The impact goes beyond Saudi Arabia to the wider region and to its global connections," said aviation analyst John Strickland.

OPSGROUP advised airlines to avoid the southern aviation corridor over the Middle East altogether, and take a route from Europe to Asia over central Asia.

Read more: FM Dar condemns Houthi attack on Riyadh airport, says Pakistan is in touch with Saudi authorities

That adds "extensive distance" for some ​routes and "closes off options for getting into ​Dubai, Abu Dhabi for most western ⁠carriers," Zee said.

Lufthansa Group has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM has extended a suspension to and from Riyadh until the end of the month.

Etihad Airways said it had cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam ​due to "regional disruption", adding that all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh would be cancelled until October 19.

Qatar Airways ​said on Monday it ⁠had temporarily suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam due to the "current situation".

Delta Air Lines said it was delaying planned services from Atlanta to Riyadh, initially due to start on October 23, until March 2027.

The escalation with the Houthis has raised concerns over the broader economic impact. Saudi Arabia's real GDP is projected to contract by 3.6% this year, reflecting ⁠a combination ​of factors including lower oil activity.

The attacks have put events scheduled in Riyadh this month under pressure, including ​the kingdom's flagship investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, where several top oil executives were dropped from the programme.

Trump criticizes Yemen’s Houthis while offering no specific response

US President Donald Trump criticized Yemen’s Houthi group Monday but did not outline any specific measures that his administration might take in response to its actions.

Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House for Ohio, Trump was asked what he planned to do about the Houthis.

“Well, the Houthis are misbehaving very badly. No good,” he replied.