Israel said it prevented a “terror attack” on Israeli civilians Friday when the military killed two gunmen who had fatally shot two Israeli soldiers. The shooting came days before Tuesday’s election, when Israeli voters will decide whether to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu another term.
In Jordan, gunmen opened fire inside a church, killing seven people and wounding 40.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Read our full coverage here.
Israel's army says it killed 2 gunmen who killed soldiers
Israel’s military said its soldiers shot and killed two men who had launched an attack near the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning. Two soldiers were killed and three others lightly wounded in the attack.
The army said it prevented a “terror attack against Israeli civilians” and that the gunmen had an M16 rifle and a handgun.
Following the attack, Israel's prime minister's office said it had ordered the army to prepare for a full closure of the West Bank.
The prime minister’s office said it had instructed the army to close off the occupied West Bank, where the shooting occurred.
Churchgoers in Jordan attacked during funeral
In Jordan, gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a church Friday, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.
The shooting took place at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, home to a minority Christian population, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of the capital Amman.
Jordan’s Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said that two of those wounded are in critical condition.
Images being broadcast on Jordanian state television show two gunmen who appear to be holding pistols approaching the church and firing shots. A third man who appears to be holding a semiautomatic rifle then approaches and opens fire, and all three then run toward the church.
A government statement said that the attack was “carried out by unknown assailants,” but didn’t say whether any gunmen were captured or killed. It said that “investigations are underway at full speed.”
In 2016, Islamic State militants launched an attack on the Karak Castle, a popular tourist site, killing 14 people, including a Canadian tourist. No group immediately claimed responsibility for Friday's attack.
Arab parties ask Israel’s top court to bar armed poll observers
Arab political parties running in Israel’s national election have asked the Supreme Court to ban partisan election observers from carrying guns at polling stations.
The petition, filed Thursday with the Israel-based legal group Adalah, said the ban was essential to protecting public safety and ensuring a free and fair election on Tuesday.
It followed announcements by Jewish parties led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that they planned to send about 2,000 election observers to Arab neighborhoods, citing allegations of voter fraud.
Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel’s population. Arab-led parties could prove decisive in the upcoming election, the first since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, if Jewish parties are willing to join them in a governing coalition.
Palestinians in Gaza face bread shortages
Crowds gathered outside bakeries across Gaza on Friday, banging on metal doors and scrambling to obtain bags of bread.
The World Food Program announced Monday that it had reduced the number of people receiving assistance in Gaza to 1.1 million from 1.6 million because of a severe funding shortfall.
Ibrahim Abu Osama, a resident of Gaza City, said some bakeries had shut down and flour prices had skyrocketed since then. He said he had been unable to find bread.
At the same time, commercial shipments into Gaza, including food, were halted for days following a dispute over fees imposed on merchants. Israel said Monday it would gradually resume the shipments. As of Thursday, commercial shipments had resumed, but not of food.
Yemen retracts statement against gatherings in Houthi-controlled areas
Yemen’s defense ministry retracted a statement warning that tribal mobilization gatherings in Houthi-controlled areas would be considered legitimate military targets, calling the statement “wrong and unacceptable.”
Defense Minister Taher al-Aqili apologized to Yemen’s tribes in a post on X on Thursday, saying the military would not target tribal gatherings, known locally as “Nakf,” or other civilian assemblies. He said the military would abide by international humanitarian law in all its operations.
The statement earlier released by the internationally recognized ministry had warned residents in Houthi-controlled areas against attending such gatherings, accusing the Iran-backed rebels of mobilizing supporters and recruiting children for combat.
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 3
Strikes by Israel’s army killed three people on Friday in southern Gaza and Gaza City, according to local health officials.
The first strike in southern Gaza killed one person. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas militant.
The second strike killed two people in Gaza City, but Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the strike.
Grieving relatives of the two people killed in Gaza City gathered in the courtyard of the Shifa hospital, where the casualties were taken. The relatives wept over the bodies wrapped in white body bags as they bid their final farewells.
More than 1,500 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli military since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began in October 2025, according to the territory’s health ministry. The ministry maintains detailed records and is regarded as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. Part of the Hamas-run government, the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up nearly half of those killed.
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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
