World March 13, 2026

Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills Three as Fighting Spreads Across the Region

Casualties mount in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon amid a wider escalation tied to recent strikes on Iran

By Derek Hwang
Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills Three as Fighting Spreads Across the Region

An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed three Palestinians, including two 17-year-olds, according to Palestinian medics, as hostilities continued across the occupied territories and neighboring states. Violence has persisted in the West Bank and Lebanon alongside an expansion of Israeli operations in the region following recent joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Key Points

  • An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed three Palestinians, including two 17-year-olds; Palestinian medics provided the casualty figures.
  • Violence has extended across multiple fronts - Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon - following recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, with nearly 2,000 people killed and several million displaced.
  • Sectors sensitive to geopolitical risk, such as regional energy markets and cross-border trade, could be affected by the ongoing escalation and mobility restrictions.

CAIRO/JERUSALEM, March 13 - An airstrike in Gaza attributed to Israeli forces killed three Palestinians on Friday, Palestinian medical workers said, among them two teenagers aged 17. The attack occurred amid a broader uptick in lethal operations by Israel across multiple fronts over the past 24 hours.

Palestinian officials reported that Israeli forces also killed two people in the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday. In Lebanon, the Health Ministry reported the death toll has reached 773. Overall, almost two weeks into the current war, roughly 2,000 people have been killed, most in Iran, and several million have been displaced from their homes.

The Israeli military stated it was not aware of the Gaza strike. Separately, the military released a statement on Thursday saying it had killed two individuals after they allegedly attempted a car-ramming attack targeting soldiers. The military did not immediately provide evidence supporting the claim of an attempted ramming when asked.

At the outset of the conflict with Iran, Israeli air operations over Gaza had diminished, but they have since increased again. Authorities report that 23 people have been killed in Gaza since U.S. and Israeli forces jointly struck Iran on February 28. Despite a ceasefire that came into effect in Gaza in October, the enclave has experienced repeated outbreaks of violence since that time.

Reports indicate that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza has been placed on hold since the onset of the war with Iran. Violence has also persisted across the West Bank, where Israeli settlers and military forces have killed at least eight Palestinians since the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began. Observers have noted a spike in settler-related violence coinciding with the enhanced security measures and lockdowns imposed on much of the West Bank.

The recent pattern of strikes and counterstrikes highlights the breadth of the current escalation, spanning Lebanon, Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Iranian territory. Many of the incidents described above remain under investigation or unconfirmed by multiple parties, and some claims, including those tied to attempted attacks on soldiers, have not been substantiated with immediate evidence.


Contextual note: Reporting on these events includes statements from medical sources, local officials and military communications; some claims have not been independently verified at the time of publication.

Risks

  • Attribution uncertainty - the Israeli military said it was not aware of the Gaza strike, and some claims of attempted attacks lack immediate corroborating evidence, creating ambiguity for security assessments; this uncertainty may affect defense and insurance sectors.
  • Continued outbreaks despite the October ceasefire - repeated incidents in Gaza and the West Bank signal an unstable security environment that could disrupt humanitarian operations and supply chains in the region.
  • Spike in settler violence and West Bank lockdowns - increased local violence and movement restrictions raise risks for commerce and logistics within the West Bank and for broader investor confidence in regional markets.

More from World

U.S. Offers Up to $10 Million for Information on Iran’s New Supreme Leader and Senior IRGC Figures Mar 13, 2026 South Korean Prime Minister Holds Unannounced Meeting with U.S. President in Washington Mar 13, 2026 US Bobsledder Kaillie Humphries Draws Online Backlash After Presenting Order of Ikkos to President Trump Mar 13, 2026 U.S. Says It Will Drop Soccer Bribery Convictions for Former Fox Executive, Citing Resource Priorities Mar 13, 2026 Israel Expands Strikes on Iran, Targeting IRGC Checkpoints Using Local Tip-offs Mar 13, 2026