Washington – West Bank: Europe and the Arabs

At least two liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers, along with vessels carrying a combined 7.25 million barrels of oil, are preparing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman under the protection of the US Central Command, according to the maritime tracking service TankerTrackers. European media outlets in Brussels, including the Belgian daily newspaper Nieuwsblad, reported that the strategic strait remains closed to regular shipping traffic, with Iran maintaining strict control over navigation. Meanwhile, the United States is enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

On Friday, TankerTrackers tracked at least 17 ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman. According to the agency, at least 24 million barrels of crude oil were transferred from one vessel to another. The organization described the day as "busy."

Other fully loaded oil tankers are in the area awaiting transfers. TankerTrackers noted, "Congestion appears to be the determining factor." Due to increased congestion, port services are operating around the clock to ensure safe and smooth shipping operations.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is subjecting dozens of employees to lie detector tests following leaks about weapons shortages. The Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad reported that approximately fifty members of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff underwent lie detector tests as part of an investigation into leaked information concerning a potential war with Iran. This was reported by The New York Times, citing government officials.

Those questioned included military officers and civilian employees of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Last month, researchers sought to determine whether they had informed journalists about shortages of critical US ammunition due to the conflict. In another development, under the headline "Four out of ten Israelis believe there was internal treachery behind the Palestinian attack on October 7, 2023," the same source reported that 40% of Israelis believe the October 7, 2023 attack was the result of "treachery from within," according to a poll published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

44% of those polled reject the conspiracy theory, while another 16% remain undecided, demonstrating a sharp division in Israeli society regarding this claim. Fear of a new regional escalation is also growing, with more than half of Israelis (55%) fearing a direct war with Iran in the near future, while 39% do not share this fear, and 6% expressed no clear opinion. This anxiety is casting a shadow over the October 2026 elections, where Benjamin Netanyahu is trailing his rivals in the race for party leadership. Former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is receiving 48% of the vote compared to Netanyahu's 39%. The Prime Minister Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett receives 43% approval.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli settlers again launched attacks on several Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, the Israeli army closed roads leading to Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA and the Jerusalem News Network.

On Friday evening, Israeli forces entered the Qalandiya refugee camp north of Jerusalem. During the incursion, they opened fire and threw stun grenades.

Dozens of settlers attacked a Palestinian home in Umm al-Safa, northwest of Ramallah. They damaged the house and erected a tent near other homes under the protection of the Israeli army.

In the northeastern part of Ramallah, the Israeli army imposed a complete security cordon around the village of al-Mughayyir. Residents can no longer enter or leave the village. According to Palestinian sources, the settlers sought to provoke a confrontation with local residents in the adjacent agricultural lands. In the village of Khirbet al-Nahla, south of Bethlehem, settlers stormed the village accompanied by soldiers. One resident was beaten. When neighbors rushed to his aid, they opened fire. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and stun grenades, causing several people to suffer respiratory problems.