Oil prices were little changed on Friday, staying on track for weekly gains, with tensions persisting in the Middle East after Israel rejected a ceasefire offer from Hamas. Brent crude futures slipped 1 cent to $81.62 a barrel by 0334 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 3 cents to $76.25 a barrel.

Both benchmarks rose about 3% in the previous session as Israeli forces bombed the southern border city of Rafah on Thursday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposal to end the war in the Palestinian enclave. The tensions have kept oil prices elevated, with Brent and WTI both set to gain more than 5% for the week.

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