Following his decision to suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel, Foreign Secretary David Lammy says foreign policy "involves tough choices".

"But I will always seek to take such decisions in line with our principles," he adds.

He tells the House of Commons that the UK "takes seriously its role in applying export licensing law reflecting the published criteria and the specific circumstances".

"But let me leave this House in no doubt, the UK continues to support Israel's right [to] self defence in accordance with international law."

We're hearing more now from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy about the decision to suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel, which he says he did not take "lightly".

He said this suspension would not have a "material impact on Israel's security", adding that it "only covers items which might be used in the current conflict".

Lammy told the House of Commons this is "not a blanket ban" and it is "not an arms embargo".

"It targets around 30, approximately of 350 licences to Israel in total, for items which could be used in the current conflict in Gaza. The rest will continue."

The foreign secretary said the government would keep its position "under review".

Image source, Reuters

The UK government has been under pressure to halt arms sales to Israel, as concerns have grown over the Gaza death toll and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure.

Critics say UK weapons exports to Israel could make Britain complicit in alleged breaches of international humanitarian law.

When he started the job, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy initiated a review to assess whether Israel was complying with international humanitarian law.

The UK is not a major supplier of arms to Israel, which gets most of its weapons from the US and Germany.

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

More now on the UK government suspending some export licences to Israel.

The government’s assessment is based on three separate categories within the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC): humanitarian provision and access, treatment of detainees, and conduct of the military campaign.

The government’s review concluded that there had been possible breaches of international humanitarian law in the first two areas but that a lack of verifiable evidence meant that it hadn’t been possible to make a determination on the conduct of the military campaign.

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent

Following its review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law in the course of its military operations in Gaza, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced that the UK is suspending approximately 30 export licences for military equipment.

The 30 licences (out of a total of around 350) include components for military aircraft, helicopters, drones and items which facilitate ground targeting. Officials say the government has concluded there is a clear risk that items exported to Israel might be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Officials emphasise that this is not an arms embargo and that the government’s assessment is not designed to prejudge the outcomes of work by international courts, such as the ICJ and ICC.

A special envoy for the Israeli Foreign Ministry - and former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem - Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, has told the BBC's World at One programme she thinks Hamas is to blame for holding up the hostage release ceasefire deal.

“If they really wanted a deal, why did they execute six innocent hostages,” she said.

“I’m not sure Netanyahu is the blocking point.”

One of the sticking points in the negotiations has been that Netanyahu wants to keep Israeli troops in the Philadelphi corridor – a strategically important strip of land along the Gaza side of the Gaza-Egypt border.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum told the BBC this was about the supply of weapons to Hamas. The corridor "has huge tunnels [underneath it] which bring in the weapons, trucks full of rockets from Egypt”.

She favours a deal, she says, but one which “does not put Israel in a more vulnerable position”.

US President Joe Biden says he doesn't think Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough to secure a hostage deal.

Speaking to reporters at the White House today, Biden said he was "very close" to presenting a final proposal for a deal to release hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Asked whether he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to secure such an agreement, Biden said "No".

"Hope springs eternal," he added when asked whether a deal would be successful.

The comments come after a report in the Washington Post suggesting the US was preparing to put a final "take it or leave it" deal to Israel and Hamas.

Image source, Reuters

Mourners are lining the streets in Jerusalem for the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin - one of the six people whose bodies were recovered by Israel on Saturday.

"We're sorry, Hersh, that we couldn't get you out in time," one of the many mourners, Shayna Ebranson says.

Rapahel Nathen adds that they "feel this pain as a nation. We've been watching this throughout the whole time, hoping that he'd come home.

"Unfortunately, tragedy happened and he's not coming home, so we're here to give him one last walk," he says.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

A funeral service for one of the hostages whose body was recovered by Israel has been taking place in Jerusalem.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin - an American citizen - was attending the Supernova music festival on 7 October, when Hamas-led gunmen from Gaza stormed Israel's border fence.

During the attack he sought refuge in a bomb shelter with several dozen others, but gunmen gathered outside and began to throw grenades and was then taken hostage.

In an undated proof-of-life video released by Hamas earlier this year, he was seen without his lower left arm.

In today's photos, a crowd of people can be seen paying their respects to Goldberg-Polin in Jerusalem, waving Israeli flags in the street.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Hostages Families Forum

The bodies of six hostages were recovered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Saturday in an underground tunnel in the Rafah area of southern Gaza.

They have been named by the IDF as as Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Master Sgt Ori Danino.

The IDF says they were "brutally murdered" shortly before its troops reached them. Hamas says Israel is responsible for their deaths, as it has refused to sign a ceasefire deal.

Image source, Getty Images

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid earlier joined protesters on the streets of Tel Aviv, who are calling for the government to agree to a deal to release hostages from Gaza.

He was among the protesters both last night and today, and earlier lent his voice to the call for a general strike across the country.

Lapid also released a statement addressed to members of Netanyahu's coalition, calling on them to use their political sway to push for the release of hostages.

Workers have been ordered to go back to their jobs, says Arnon Bar-David, the head of Histadrut, the union which organised Monday's strikes.

Earlier today Israel's labour court earlier ruled that the strike must end at 14:30 local time (12:30 BST) - earlier than its planned finish.

Paul Adams
BBC News

Image source, Reuters

Israel is boiling.

The streets of Tel Aviv thronged with protestors again this morning, blocking the country’s main highway, pleading with the government to do more to bring Israel’s remaining hostages home.

Last night, on the same streets, despair turned to anger and violence.

Saturday’s shocking news that the bodies of six hostages, previously thought to be alive, had been found in a tunnel in Rafah, triggered fury at the government’s failure to reach a deal. A deal which could have saved them.

The fate of the hostages is tearing the country apart.

Many here are accusing the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of repeatedly throwing up obstacles to an agreement.

Today, for the first time since the war began, a national strike.

The country’s main airport was briefly thrown into chaos, with flights delayed or cancelled and baggage not loaded. A court ordered the strike to end a short time ago.

The country’s largest union said it would comply, but with businesses closed, streets blocked by angry demonstrators and the government deeply divided over how to proceed in Gaza, the sense of crisis is palpable.

Israel's labour court has ordered the general strike to end. Activists involved in the strike called for the Israeli government to agree a deal to secure the release of hostages after six bodies were recovered by the IDF on Saturday.

We've taken a look back at how the strike unfolded this morning:

• Several roads were blocked and flights at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv were delayed
• Many hospitals were operating reduced services and banks were closed

• Thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv before Israel's labour court ruled that the general strike must end by 14:30 local time (12:30 BST)

• The action was called by Histadrut - one of the country's most powerful unions

• The Hostages and Missing Families Forum announced several protests scheduled to take place at 19:00 (17:00 BST), including at the prime minister's residence

Image source, Reuters

The Hamas-run health ministry says the death toll in Gaza has risen to 40,786.

It adds that 94,224 have been wounded, and that a number of victims remain under rubble and on streets where emergency services cannot reach them.

Pressure is mounting on US President Joe Biden to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas that will ensure a ceasefire and the release of hostages, some of who are US citizens.

The president's team has been working for months with Egypt and Qatar to hammer out an agreement.

A "take it or leave it" deal is now being finalised and will be presented to Israel and Hamas in the coming weeks, according to the Washington Post., external

On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of six hostages. One was US citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken posted on X that they will continue to work with their partners in the region to free the remaining hostages.

National security advisor Jake Sullivan says he discussed with the families of American hostages the continuing push by the government to secure their release.

Tom Bennett
BBC News

Image source, Gili Roman

I’ve been speaking to Gili Roman, who had two of his family members taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October.

His sister, Yarden Roman-Gat. And Yarden's sister-in-law, Carmel Gat.

Yarden was released in November’s hostage and prisoner swap deal.

But Carmel was not - and her body was recovered from Gaza by the IDF over the weekend.

"We are devastated and heartbroken," he tells me.

"And I’m angry, because I anticipated something like this could happen.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has announced several protests scheduled to take place across Israel at 19:00 today (17:00 BST).

In a post on X, the group has listed three locations for the protests. It says a "large-scale demonstration" is scheduled to take place outside the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem, a "massive rally" at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv and a protest in front of the prime minister’s house in Caesarea.

The labour court's ruling that today's strike must end has been welcomed by Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

In a post on X, he says the court agreed with him that the strike was "political and illegal".

According to Israeli media, Smotrich had been responsible for filing an injunction against the action with the court.

Despite the action, he adds, workers showed up for work "in droves" today, while those who did go on strike were trying to "damage" the Israeli economy.

As a court ruled that the general strike must end shortly, thousands were out in the streets of Tel Aviv.

Activists are demanding that the government agrees a deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.