Israeli airstrikes killed five people in Gaza and three in the West Bank on Friday, according to local health officials and the Israeli military, despite an ongoing United States-brokered ceasefire that began in October. The latest fatalities arrive alongside widespread food insecurity across Gaza, thousands of stranded seafarers in the Persian Gulf, and new U.S. economic restrictions targeting an Egyptian bank.
Gaza Airstrikes Kill Five Amid Severe Food Insecurity
Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip resulted in five deaths on Friday, local hospital officials reported. Nasser Hospital authorities confirmed that two brothers and another relative died when a strike hit their family home located outside Khan Younis. Al Jazeera reporters noted that an Israeli drone strike targeted a group of Palestinians early Friday morning north of Khan Younis, sending the bodies of the three Abdeen family members to the Nasser Medical Complex.
Two separate Israeli strikes killed one person each in Gaza City, according to health officials at Shifa Hospital. Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that a drone missile killed Hassan al-Deiri in the Sabra neighborhood, while another strike hit a tent for displaced people in the Mashahra area east of Gaza City, killing one and wounding several others. The Israeli military confirmed carrying out Gaza strikes but stated it was not aware of the incident in Khan Younis.
According to Gaza health officials, these latest fatalities bring the total number of Palestinians killed in airstrikes to more than 1,300 since the October ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) analysis released Thursday revealed that 46 percent of surveyed households in Gaza reported going to bed hungry at least once over the previous 30 days. WFP figures show that an average of 217 aid trucks have crossed into Gaza daily since last year’s ceasefire, falling short of the 600 trucks per day agreed upon.
West Bank Operation in Jenin Leaves Three Dead
In the West Bank, the Israeli military reported killing three Palestinians during an airstrike in Jenin on Friday. The military identified one of the dead as Qais Bitawi, alleging he was involved in advancing significant terrorist activity, while describing the other two as accomplices. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the deaths of Bitawi and two others.
Hamas condemned the strike as a heinous crime. The latest operation pushes the 2026 death toll in the West Bank to at least 87 Palestinians killed in attacks, contrasted with three Israelis killed by Palestinians over the same period, according to official figures.
Did You Know?
According to the International Maritime Organization, at least 70 attacks on international shipping have occurred in the Persian Gulf since the Iran war began on February 28, leaving roughly 6,000 seafarers stranded on hundreds of regional ships.
Regional Fallout: Stranded Sailors, Energy Deals, and U.S. Sanctions
The conflict continues to disrupt maritime trade and diplomatic positioning across the Middle East. The United Nations maritime agency reported Friday that 19 seafarers have been killed since the war began. U.S. embassies in Doha, Qatar; Kuwait City, Kuwait; and Manama, Bahrain announced they would allow certain family members of diplomats to return after initial evacuations, following similar measures for U.S. government family members in Israel and Beirut.
Economic and diplomatic fronts saw active friction on Friday. Iranian state media reported that President Masoz Pezeshkian stated neither Tehran nor Washington can achieve all of their demands, emphasizing that negotiations are necessary for stability. Pezeshkian added that Iran would remain committed to the Islamabad memorandum if the U.S. upholds its own commitments. Concurrently, Iran’s ambassador to Russia announced plans to revive a 2022 energy deal piping 55 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually into Iran via Azerbaijan, a move analyst Umud Shokri noted could help alleviate seasonal gas shortages.
In response to Iranian ties, the Trump administration proposed a new Treasury rule restricting Banque Misr, Egypt’s second-largest bank, from accessing the U.S. financial system via its Emirati branches. The Central Bank of Egypt clarified that the restrictions apply solely to UAE dollar transfers. Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the new U.S. sanctions as economic terrorism. Meanwhile, Finland announced it will not extend its 5 million euro annual humanitarian aid agreement with UNRWA, a decision welcomed by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggered the latest casualties in Gaza and the West Bank?
Five people were killed in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes targeting Khan Younis and Gaza City, while three Palestinians, including Qais Bitawi, were killed in a West Bank airstrike in Jenin, according to local health officials and the Israeli military.
How many seafarers remain stranded in the Persian Gulf?
According to the United Nations maritime agency, at least 6,000 seafarers remain stranded on hundreds of ships unable to leave the Persian Gulf region following 70 attacks on international shipping since February 28.
What U.S. restrictions were placed on Banque Misr?
The U.S. Treasury proposed a new rule that would sever Banque Misr’s Emirati branches from the U.S. financial system over the bank’s alleged economic ties to Iran’s leadership, according to government statements.
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