Israeli political sources said 15 draft documents did not adequately meet Israel's demands for Hamas disarmament, and Israel has conveyed objections to a senior member of the "peace committee", the envoy of former UK prime minister Tony Blair.

Analyst Chris Giles said the Bank of England’s scenario projections map the near-term policy choices: if energy stays near current spot and futures prices, the BoE would need to hike rates—possibly materially—to control inflation; if energy falls back to early-month levels, it could continue gradual cuts; if energy eases only modestly, rates would likely remain unchanged. Giles called the scenario-based framework reasonable and broadly similar to the ECB’s. By contrast, he said the Federal Reserve is deliberately maintaining greater policy uncertainty.

Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has increased in recent days despite ongoing Middle East tensions; the US said its navy escorted several tankers through the waterway. Ship-tracking data show LNG carrier Al Areesh departed Qatar and left the Persian Gulf earlier on Thursday. Market-intelligence firm Kpler reported 14 vessels transited the strait on Wednesday, up from single digits last week; figures are subject to revision.