Across the Middle East this week, a Saudi-led coalition of predominantly Sunni Arab countries launched a campaign of airstrikes targeting Shiite rebels and their allies in Yemen.

The strikes come after the rebels, known as Houthis, swept across much of the country and forced Yemen's embattled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to flee. Since then, the coalition strikes have targeted Houthis and the allies, who include security forces loyal to deposed Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Meanwhile, a U.S.-led coalition targeting the Islamic State group has begun bombing its militants in the Iraqi city of Tikrit. For weeks, the hometown of Saddam Hussein has been besieged by a joint group of Iraqi forces including soldiers, police officers, Shiite militiamen and Iranian advisers.

In Jerusalem, seven Jewish siblings who died in a devastating New York house fire were laid to rest at an emotional ceremony attended by several thousand mourners.

And finally, Christians marked Palm Sunday, waving palm fronds across the region as the Holy Week leading up to Easter began. Those worshipping included Syrian refugees who prayed for the end of their country's 4-year-old civil war.