The United Kingdom warned Israel against removing British officials from a Gaza ceasefire coordination center on Friday, as diplomatic tensions flared over West Bank trade bans, regional shipping attacks persisted, and Iran condemned fresh American economic sanctions.
Britain and the Netherlands Face Diplomatic Pushback at Ceasefire Center
The U.K. government stated on Thursday that it remains fully committed to implementing the 20-point Gaza peace plan, pushing back against reports that Israel is considering expelling officials from Britain and other European nations from the monitoring facility. British authorities cautioned that any move to remove their personnel would undermine shared efforts.
The diplomatic friction extends beyond London. The Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed on Thursday that Israel is removing two Dutch diplomats from the ceasefire center. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, that expulsion is a direct response to a Dutch trade ban on Israeli products originating from the occupied West Bank and other anti-Israel measures.
The U.K. government said on Thursday that it remains committed to implementing the 20-point Gaza peace plan.
Casualties Mount in Southern Gaza Despite Fragile Ceasefire
On the ground in Gaza, deadly violence continues to shatter a fragile peace. Two brothers and another relative were killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike targeting their family home outside Khan Younis, according to officials at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military stated that it was not aware of any strike in the Khan Younis area.
These fatalities mark the latest bloodshed since an October ceasefire deal sought to halt a devastating war between Israel and Hamas that has lasted more than two years. Although the heaviest combat has subsided, recurring airstrikes have killed at least 1,303 Palestinians, based on figures from health officials in Gaza. Local health records are widely regarded as reliable by monitors, though they do not provide a distinct breakdown separating civilians from combatants.
Persian Gulf Shipping Crisis Strands Thousands of Seafarers
Away from the immediate ground conflict, the maritime fallout from the Iran war continues to paralyze vital commercial routes. The United Nations maritime agency reported Friday that 19 seafarers have been killed and at least 6,000 remain stranded aboard hundreds of ships trapped in the region since hostilities began on Feb. 28.
The International Maritime Organization has recorded at least 70 attacks on international shipping within the Persian Gulf. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez called for practical solutions and renewed international cooperation to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict erupted, roughly 20% of the world’s traded oil and natural gas transited through that narrow commercial waterway.
Tehran Slams New U.S. Sanctions as Economic Terrorism
Economic pressure from Washington has drawn fierce pushback from Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned a fresh wave of U.S. economic measures, labeling them economic terrorism
and vowing that Tehran will utilize all available means to resist them. The ministry maintained that the sanctions breach international law and urged other nations to ignore them, accusing Washington of weaponizing the U.S. dollar to force global compliance.
The U.S. Treasury Department countered earlier in the week by declaring its intent to completely sever Iran from the global economy. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened secondary sanctions against any international entities that continue doing business with Tehran, underscoring an American strategy of maximizing economic leverage to force diplomatic concessions.
