Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Full coverage is available here.
Israeli strike kills 1 in central Gaza, local health officials say
An Israeli strike Sunday morning on a civilian vehicle killed one Palestinian and wounded at least 11 others, according to health officials at the Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where the casualties were taken.
Israel’s military said it targeted a known Hamas militant in the strike.
Palestinians in Gaza have reported a surge in Israeli fire and airstrikes across the enclave over the past month. Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,445 Palestinians in Gaza since a ceasefire was reached with the Hamas militant group nearly a year ago, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It doesn’t give a breakdown of civilians and militants. Seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire.
Houthis say midnight airstrike hits Yemeni capital
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said airstrikes hit the capital, Sanaa, at midnight amid their renewed war against Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government.
The Houthi media office reported the strikes without giving further details. It accused Saudi Arabia of launching the strikes, but didn’t offer evidence and there was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
However, the Yemeni military, which is backed by Riyadh, claimed responsibility for the strikes.
Yemeni military spokesman Col. Majed al-Nazili said it struck “vital targets” in Sanaa as well as the northern province of Saada on the borders with Saudi Arabia.
Airstrikes that hit Sanaa on Saturday morning were also claimed by the Yemeni military.
The attacks were part of a major escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iranian-backed Houthis that revived Yemen’s civil war after a four-year ceasefire.
Tanker in Strait of Hormuz struck by projectile, British military says
A projectile struck a tanker on the Strait of Hormuz Sunday, damaging the engine room, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said.
It was not immediately clear who launched the attack, nor was it clear when it was carried out. The UKMTO said the crew was reportedly safe.
Overall ship traffic remains below prewar levels in the Strait of Hormuz, as do shipments of energy products, even though Iran has lost its near-complete chokehold over the crucial waterway due to the U.S. Navy’s efforts to shepherd oil tankers through the strait. That, along with various pipelines, has allowed Gulf countries to restore oil exports to nearly prewar levels.
___
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
