Israeli drone strike kills 2 Palestinians in Gaza, and other Mideast news
An Israeli drone strike killed two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, hospital officials said. Later in the day, mourners held a vigil for 70 people killed during the war whose remains were recently recovered.
Meanwhile, Iranian state TV reported that three oil tankers struck Iranian naval mines and caught fire around the Strait of Hormuz, the latest attack on shipping moving through the Persian Gulf.
In Jordan, Christian churches announced they would cancel Christmas festivities while continuing to hold liturgical services following a deadly church attack last month.
Here are the latest developments from the Middle East on Saturday. Read our full coverage here.
The drone struck two Palestinians walking down a street in Jabaliya, on the northern edge of Gaza City, said Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where the casualties were taken.
The American field hospital said several other people were wounded but did not provide a number.
Asked about the attack, the Israeli military said it had struck two Hamas militants in the area.
Near-daily Israeli fire and airstrikes have continued in Gaza more than a year after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal.
At least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records and is seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its toll but says women and children make up around half the dead.
Dozens of mourners gathered in Jabaliya in northern Gaza on Saturday evening to honor 70 people killed during the war whose remains were recovered in recent weeks from the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes.
More than a dozen families had been waiting for their loved ones’ remains to be found. Draped in Palestinian flags, the remains were laid out for the ceremony as relatives placed candles on them and gathered to say their final goodbyes.
Among the mourners was Wael al-Dibs, whose wife and other relatives had been recovered. The remains of his 3-year-old daughter have yet to be found.
Mahmoud Nabhan lost 16 relatives, including children and grandchildren, when his home was struck early in the war. The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since killed more than 74,600 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
The Council of Church Leaders in Jordan is canceling Christmas festivities out of respect for victims of last month’s deadly attack on a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan. Liturgies and prayers will continue.
The announcement comes as Santa hats begin appearing in stores and holiday bazaars and festivals are being planned across the Holy Land. The council, which represents Jordan’s Christian denominations, said this year’s pastoral activities should be “marked by simplicity and solemnity.”
“Priority should be given to prayers, spiritual observances, and acts of mercy and social solidarity — all in harmony with the message and values of Christmas, as well as our national spirit of solidarity,” a council statement said Saturday.
The council urged congregations to make Christmas trees “a sign of hope, unity, and peace” by setting aside a memorial space beside them for the nine people killed when gunmen stormed the church during a funeral. More than three dozen others were wounded.
Three oil tankers struck naval mines and caught fire around the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state TV reported, citing statements from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian Navy.
Two tankers were hit inside the strait, while a third was burning east of the chokepoint, the report said. It gave no details about casualties, the tankers’ nationalities or their destinations.
The Guard and the Navy warned that ships using routes through the strait without Iran’s approval would face a similar fate.
Iran has been attacking oil tankers and other shipping in the strait to drive up global energy prices during its war with the United States. The U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports that has severely disrupted Iran’s economy.
October recorded the highest number of incidents involving commercial ships in the contested waters since the war began in February.
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This report will be updated throughout the day with the latest developments.
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