Image source, Reuters

Before we bring our coverage of events in Israel today to a close, let's recap what's been happening today:

• The UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the UK was suspending about 30 arms export licences to Israel, Israel’s foreign minister said this “sent a very problematic message” to Iran

• Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the country he was "begging for your forgiveness" during a press conference, for not bringing back alive the six hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza on Saturday

• US President Joe Biden says Netanyahu is not doing enough to secure a hostage deal and ceasefire with Hamas
• Protests have been taking place across Israel, including outside Netanyahu's residences in Jerusalem and the town of Caesarea, calling for the government to secure a hostage deal with Hamas

Chris Mason
Political editor

The decision to suspend around 30 of the current 350 arms export licences to Israel is the third this still-relatively-new government has taken on the Middle East conflict that is different from what came before.

It dropped plans to challenge the right of the International Criminal Court to seek an arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister. And it restored funding for the UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees.

The government says it’s taken each of these decisions on its own merits.

And it insists this decision doesn’t change its overall position on Israel which it describes as solid and unyielding.

But, this is a party in the last year that has had its difficulties among some who have felt that it has not been sufficiently robust in the direction of Israel, and we saw that in some of the general election results in areas with substantial Muslim populations.

Here are now three examples the government can point to where it could say, if it chose to, that its approach to Israel is that bit more sceptical.

Adi and Yael Alexander, whose Israeli-American son Edan has been held captive by Hamas since 7 October after he was kidnapped while serving in the Israeli Defense Forces near the Gaza border, say that a hostage deal currently being drafted is a "now or never proposal".

Speaking to BBC's US partner CBS News this morning, the couple criticised the Israeli government, saying they "wish to see the same dedication and commitment" from Israel as they have from the US government to get the hostages out.

"With six hostages dead, that never had to happen," says Adi.

He adds that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "prolonging the war for short-term political reasons."

"Time is passing by and we're getting more bodies out of Gaza," Adi says, calling news of the latest hostage deaths "devastating".

While Adi praised the American's dedication, he also urged them "to do something different."

"The outcome is the same after 11 months," he notes.

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent

What has changed with the deaths of six hostages and today's general strike is the scale of grief and anger spilling on the streets.

This is the biggest outpouring of protest since the Hamas attacks of 7 October.

Israel’s most powerful trade union, Histadrut joined forces with families of hostages to send an even louder, more urgent message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prioritise a ceasefire in Gaza to bring the remaining hostages home.

Last year Histradut played a central role in major protests which pushed the prime minister to suspend a controversial judicial deal.

Emotion is palpable over the deaths of six hostages said to have been in the first group set to be released if the phased deal that's been on the table for months had been agreed by Hamas and Israel.

Some are shouting "Netanyahu is a murderer" for not doing enough to reach a deal. But he and his backers put the blame squarely on Hamas.

The prime minister still has solid support from his right wing base as well as far right ministers in his cabinet to continue waging war in Gaza until Hamas’s “destruction.”

But his own Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is urging him to prioritise the hostages; he’s even reported to have said Netanyahu’s talk of “total victory” over Hamas was “nonsense.”

Image source, Efrat Machikawa/Family handout

Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle Gadi Moses is being held in Gaza by Hamas, says she "definitely" supports the general strike that took place earlier today, and adds: "enough is enough".

"Our prime minister has to stop everything and bring the hostages back by signing a deal and a ceasefire," she told the BBC.

Machikawa says Israel should prioritise “saving lives” and criticises Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not yet striking a deal to bring home hostages.

“He is failing in saving the lives of his citizens. This is not personal, this is a matter of emergency, of urgency, of saving lives.”

Machikawa says she hasn't heard anything about Gadi Moses and it's "really difficult", but she adds that she's "hopeful".

"Gadi is a strong man and he is a kind soul and I hope that he knows how much we are doing here and the fact that we will never ever stop until he is back."

Alice Cuddy
Reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, Handout

Earlier I received these photos from a resident of kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel, where residents have today joined protests calling for the release of hostages in Gaza.

The kibbutz was one of the communities in southern Israel targeted by Hamas on 7 October - 101 people there were killed, and 32 others taken hostage. Some still remain in Gaza.

Carmel Gat, one of the six hostages whose bodies were recovered this weekend, grew up in the kibbutz and was visiting her parents there when she was kidnapped.

Be’eri resident Simon King said about 300 people joined the protest from the kibbutz and the surrounding areas.

"We closed the road at 15-minute intervals and counted from one to 101 out loud using a mic and speaker," representing each of the hostages still held in Gaza, he said.

Residents held up pictures of neighbours still held hostage.

Image source, Handout

Image source, Handout

The founder of Tel Aviv-based Electric Vehicle engine start-up EVR Motors says he has encouraged his workers to take part in the protests against the government.

"Those who want to participate and protest, I’ve encouraged them to take the day off. We pay them and we're happy to have them protest," Opher Doron tells the BBC World Service's World Business Report programme.

"I was out protesting last night till well past midnight with my two sons blocking one of the major highways in Tel Aviv. We are protesting tonight. We'll continue protesting for a long time, I presume. Until it works."

He adds that he believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to extend the war with Hamas and that the government was spending money on "the wrong things".

The mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin says she will "miss you every single day for the rest of my life".

Speaking at his funeral today, Rachel Goldberg-Polin said she had been in "such torment and worry" about Hersh for months, adding that it was "a specific type of misery that I have never experienced before".

"Now I no longer have to worry about you," she said. "I know you are no longer in danger."

"Sweet boy, go now on your journey. I hope it's as good as the trips you dreamed about because finally, my sweet boy... you are free."

Earlier today, people gathered in Jerusalem for the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin - one of the hostages whose body was recovered by Israel on Saturday in Gaza.

His family gave speeches about him and Israel's President Isaac Herzog spoke to the mourners.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

UK decision may be no surprise to Israel - but it will still hurtpublished at 19:39 British Summer Time 2 September 2024

19:39 BST 2 September 2024

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent

This decision is more significant politically than militarily.

UK arms sales to Israel are small, just 1% of the country’s defence imports. Only about 30 licences have been suspended out of 350.

Parts made in the UK for the F35 fighters that Israel is using to strike targets in Gaza will not be included in the ban.

Already the government's critics are saying the suspension has not gone far enough. But it is still striking that one of Israel’s closest allies has judged there is a clear risk the country may use some of its arms' exports to violate international humanitarian law.

The announcement may come as no surprise to the government of Israel – it has been long flagged – but it will still hurt.

That is why ministers here have been expressing their disappointment. The Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, linked the announcement to the UK’s decision to refund UNWRA in Gaza and give up resisting an international criminal court decision about issuing an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu.

The discussion about suspending arms began under the last Conservative government but it has come to a head under the new Labour administration and it is a chillier diplomatic wind that is being noticed in Jerusalem.

• Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK was suspending about 30 export licences for military equipment after a government review
• The licences include components for military aircraft, helicopters, drones and items which help ground targeting

• Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he was "deeply disheartened" by the move
• Demonstrators are protesting near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in the town of Caesarea
• Netanyahu says he is "begging for your forgiveness" for not being able to bring back alive six hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza on Saturday
• Earlier, mourners lined the streets in Jerusalem for the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin - one of the six captives found dead in Gaza

As Netanyahu is delivering his remarks to the media, several hundred people are taking part in a protest not far from the PM's residences in Jerusalem and in the town of Caesarea.

The crowd in Caesarea is chanting "until he goes, until he takes the blame" and has swelled to thousands of people, according to the Times of Israel.

Groups such as Brothers in Arms, supporters of the Hostages and Missing Family Forum and several youth groups are present at the scene in the town.

As we've been reporting, several protests are scheduled to take place across Israel tonight.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

We're now hearing more from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who says Israel must continue to control the Philadelphi corridor in the south of Gaza.

The Philadelphi corridor is a strategically important strip of land along the border between Gaza and Egypt that has been a sticking point in negotiations towards a ceasefire and hostage deal. Hamas has accused Israel of issuing new demands for that deal, including regarding that strip of land.

Netanyahu says during a media briefing in Jerusalem that if Israel doesn't control the corridor, Hamas will "continue arming themselves and a monster will be created".

He goes on to say it is "incumbent upon us to control it".

"Hamas, therefore, stubbornly does not want us there, and for that reason, we are stubbornly demanding that we are there because our presence there is a strategic issue.”

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is "begging for your forgiveness" for not being able to bring back alive the six hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza on Saturday.

As a reminder, demonstrations and a general strike have been taking place across Israel today to demand the government agrees to a deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Speaking to the media in Jerusalem, he says "we were very close, nearly there" to bringing them home alive.

He adds: "And I would like to repeat once again this evening, Israel will not move on to our normal agenda after that massacre. Hamas will pay a very heavy price for it."

UK-Israel relations remain close despite arms decisionpublished at 18:20 British Summer Time 2 September 2024

18:20 BST 2 September 2024

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

David Lammy said officials had followed a rigorous process, one begun but never completed, by the previous government.

The UK, he said, was not imposing an arms embargo or prejudging the rulings of any international court. But the government, he said, had a legal duty to review all export licences.

As a result, around 30 of the current 350 arms export licences are being suspended. They include components for military aircraft, helicopters, drones and equipment involved in targeting.

Significantly, the decision is not based simply on the conduct of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza – despite the loss of civilian life and widespread destruction, the foreign secretary said there wasn’t enough reliable evidence to make a definitive conclusion that Israel had violated international humanitarian law.

Instead, the government has highlighted the lack of food and medicine reaching Gaza, and what it calls credible claims of the mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Lammy said the UK still supported Israel’s right to self defence, in accordance with international law. And he said Britain would continue to work with international partners to stand up to what he called Iranian aggression across the Middle East.

As we just reported, Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, said the suspension sent a very problematic message to Iran and Hamas. But Israeli officials knew this was coming. They also know that the licences suspended today represent a tiny fraction of Israel’s arms imports.

Relations between the two countries, in terms of military cooperation and intelligence sharing, remain close.

We've just heard from Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz - now Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posts on X that he is "deeply disheartened to learn about the sanctions placed by the UK" on some arms exports.

"This comes at a time when we fight a war on seven fronts," he says, "a time when we mourn six hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza."

Image source, Reuters

More now from Israel Katz, who says he is disappointed by a "series of recent decisions" from the UK, including today's suspension of some arms exports.

He also cites UK actions at the International Criminal Court, its "position regarding UNRWA [the UN agency for Palestinian refugees] as well as "recent British conduct and statements in the UN Security Council".

The foreign minister adds that Israel operates "according to international law and has an independent and respected judicial system".

He says he expects allies to recognise this all year round "especially after the execution of six Israeli hostages by Hamas", and he hopes the "deep friendship" between Britain and Israel will continue.

The Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has just released a statement, in which he says the UK's decision "sends a very problematic message" to Hamas and Iran.

We'll have more from that statement soon.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has also announced new sanctions on four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) force targets.

The IRGC is a major military, political and economic force in Iran, with close ties to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Lammy says the four IRGC force targets have "a role in supporting Iranian proxy actions in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon".

"We've sanctioned over 400 Iranian individuals and entities and through our work with partners we are exposing and containing Iran's destabilising weapons development," he says, adding "we will continue to work with Israel and our partners to tackle the threat from Iran across the region."

Israel has relied on imported aircraft, bombs and missiles to conduct its war with Hamas.

Some campaigners and politicians among Israel's Western allies say those exports should be suspended because, they say, Israel is not doing enough to protect civilian lives in Gaza.

The UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, external prevents weapons sales "if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law".

Israel insists its forces work to avoid civilian casualties, and accuses Hamas of deliberately putting civilians in the line of fire.