Summary

  • Israel confirms that two elderly women, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, have been released by Hamas but their husbands are still being held

  • It brings the total number of hostages released by Hamas to four. Two American-Israelis, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan, were released from captivity on Friday

  • In its latest estimate, Israel says that more than 200 hostages are being held by Hamas after its surprise attack on Israel on 7 October

  • French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Israel today, while China's top diplomat Wang Yi is heading to Washington this week to discuss the conflict

  • Earlier, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the blast at Gaza's Al Ahli hospital last week was likely caused by a missile fired from within Gaza

  • Hamas blamed the incident on an Israeli strike, but Israel said a misfiring Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket from within Gaza was responsible

  • More than 1,400 Israelis were killed when Hamas attacked on 7 October, while Gaza's health ministry says more than 5,000 have been killed since Israel began bombing the territory in response

  1. Israel is in mourning, says Rishi Sunakpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Rishi Sunak speaking in the CommonsImage source, UK Parliament

    Sunak begins his statement by listing the leaders whom he met on his recent trip to the Middle East.

    The UK PM says Israel is a nation in mourning and under attack, going on to insist the danger is not over.

    Sunak adds that he met with the families of people being held hostage in Gaza and says he is doing everything he can to help get them back.

  2. UK prime minister to speak in British Parliamentpublished at 15:32 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    House of Commons chamberImage source, UK Parliament

    We're expecting to hear from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shortly - he's due to give a statement to the House of Commons in London about the situation in Israel and Gaza.

    Sunak met leaders in Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt last week during a two-day visit to the region.

    We'll bring you what he says right here, and you can also watch his statement live by clicking the Play button at the top of this page.

  3. British-Gazan doctor says civilians paying price for 'indiscriminate war'published at 15:20 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Our radio colleagues at 5 Live have been speaking to Dr Abdelkader Hammad, a doctor from Liverpool, who's currently in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, where residents from the north were told by Israeli forces to flee for their own safety.

    Hammad is waiting for the Rafah crossing into Egypt to open, from where he plans to leave Gaza. In the meantime he says he and the ten others sharing the same single room are living under “continuous” bombardment as food and water supplies run out.

    His main concern, he says, is the “catastrophic situation” gripping Gaza’s hospitals right now. “It’s been a nightmare working here trying to treat patients,” he tells BBC Radio 5 Live from a UN hospital.

    Hammad also fears there will be “a big illness outbreak” given the lack of sanitation in Rafah, saying some patients haven’t had a bath since they came two weeks ago. He adds:

    Quote Message

    Civilians are paying a high price for this indiscriminate war. These people need some sort of relief and need a lot of supplies to change the situation on the ground.”

    The Rafah border gate with Gaza StripImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    The Rafah border crossing has been the scene of much speculation since the fighting began - particularly around aid trucks getting in

  4. WATCH: UN truck delivers aid to Khan Younis shelterpublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Media caption,

    Watch: Aid boxes from Japan are distributed at a school sheltering displaced Gazans

    United Nations workers arrive to distribute aid in Khan Younis to Palestinians sheltering in a UN-run school.

    On Saturday, 20 aid trucks crossed from Egypt, at the Rafah crossing, for the first time in two weeks.

  5. Israel says it has successfully 'thwarted' two Hamas dronespublished at 14:56 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    We've an update on those two drones, which Hamas said earlier it had fired at southern Israel.

    The Israeli military says two drones were "identified crossing from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory" at Nir Oz and Ein HaBesor - areas near the border with Gaza - and both were "thwarted".

    It did not clarify how the drones had been intercepted, or whether they were shot down.

    In a separate update, the Israel Defense Forces said its air defence also intercepted a drone that had "infiltrated from Lebanon into Israel". Again there was little detail given.

  6. Who are the hostages?published at 14:21 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Composire picture of people thought to be held hostage by Hamas

    As we reported earlier today, the IDF has said they now believe a total of 222 people were taken captive in Gaza by Hamas.

    The BBC has been compiling a list of who we know was kidnapped.

    One of them was Mia Shem, 21, who appeared in a hostage video released by Hamas last week, saying she had been abducted from a party. The IDF is in touch with her family.

    Mia Shem

    Ofer, Erez and Sahar Kalderon were taken prisoner in Kibbutz Nir Oz. A video on social media appeared to show 12-year-old Erez being taken by gunmen towards Gaza, their relative Ido Dan told the BBC.

    A close up picture of two young boysImage source, Ido Dan

    You can read more about others currently being held hostage here. Two American hostages were released on Friday and we are keeping our list updated as we learn more.

  7. 'Few, few, few supplies of food and water' in Khan Younis - Gaza refugeepublished at 14:02 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Rows of tents in Khan Younis where Palestinians are taking shelter after fleeing the northern part of the Gaza stripImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Thousands of Palestinians are taking shelter in tents in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza strip, where they fled to escape Israel's bombardment

    "Every second, every moment, you can hear the sound of bombing around you," says Ghada Ouda, a Palestinian freelance translator who fled her home in Gaza City to Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

    In a voice recording sent to the BBC, Ouda explains the situation in the southern part of the enclave. "We have few, few, few supplies of food, water. We sleep on the ground," she says.

    The Palestinians sheltering there survive on "food from cans, some vegetables, which is not enough".

    "Even bread is very rare," she says. "We have to go to far places. It takes you, like, five hours to get your bread and it's not enough for all of the family."

  8. What's the latest?published at 13:53 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    • More than 400 reported killed in Gaza in 24 hours: Palestinian officials in the Hamas-run health ministry say 436 people have been killed in Gaza since yesterday morning - taking the total to more than 5,000 since 7 October, they say
    • Israel says 320 targets hit: The Israeli military says it's targeting Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels and rocket-launch sites, with its air strikes
    • Raids into Gaza: Israel says its forces went inside the Gaza Strip on Sunday to clear the area of terrorists and weapons, with one Israeli soldier killed. IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israel carried out more raids into Gaza overnight to "kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for the next stage in the war” and to “get intelligence on the missing and the hostages"
    • Hostage number rises: Israel says 222 people are known to be held hostage in Gaza
    • British-Israeli soldier: Yosef Guedalia, 22, was a soldier in an anti-terror unit and killed while confronting Hamas gunmen at Kibbutz Kfar Aza on 7 October, his family says
    • Family of Scottish leader: Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf says his mother-in-law and her husband are living through "torture" as they remain stuck in Gaza, in a house with 100 people
  9. Hamas says it has launched two drones into southern Israelpublished at 13:36 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    In the last half an hour, an air raid alert has been issued in southern Israel after a suspected drone attack.

    Hamas, writing on Telegram, says it used two drones to attack Israeli military posts.

    The Israel Defense Forces says the alert was issued across Nir Oz and Ein HaBesor - areas near the border with Gaza.

  10. Red Sea resort considering 'tent city' to house Israeli evacueespublished at 13:27 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    The Eialt shorelineImage source, Gett
    Image caption,

    Eilat has traditionally been popular with holidaymakers

    The city of Eilat in southern Israel is considering a tent city to house the thousands of people who have moved there since the war started, according to Israeli media.

    The mayor of Eilat - a holiday resort on the Red Sea - says the city's population has doubled, with more 60,000 evacuees arriving.

    They've so far been staying in 12,000 hotel rooms, 4,000 privately rented places as well as special hospitality centres.

    "We are looking at all kinds of options, including the establishment of a tent city," mayor Eli Lankri told Israel's Channel 12.

    "We are ready with the plans we prepared last week and will present them to the decision makers".

    According to the Israeli government, more than 200,000 Israelis have been internally displaced since the 7 October attack - as people evacuate areas near the border with Gaza and Lebanon.

    Eilat is on the southern tip of Israel, more than 100 miles from the Gaza Strip
    Image caption,

    Eilat is on the southern tip of Israel, more than 100 miles from the Gaza Strip

  11. What has Israel said about latest bombings?published at 13:09 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    A destroyed area after Israeli air strikes in Gaza City, 23 October 2023. More than 4,700 Palestinians and over 1,400 Israelis have been killed, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Palestinian health authority, since Hamas militants launched an attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip on 07 October.Image source, EPA

    As we've just reported, Palestinian officials in the Hamas-run health ministry say more than 430 people have been killed in Gaza since yesterday morning.

    Israel continued its missile strikes and bombings yesterday and overnight. Photos from this morning show families standing next to buildings that have been flattened into rubble, and wounded people lying in the street outside hospitals.

    This morning, the Israeli military said in the past 24 hours it had struck at at least 320 targets - including a tunnel housing Hamas fighters and lookout posts.

    The IDF says it follows international law and "takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm".

  12. Watch: Blackpool mum and children try to flee Gazapublished at 12:55 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Media caption,

    Stephanie Abuassi and her four children are trying to get to Egypt

    Stephanie Abuassi and her four children - who are from Blackpool in the UK - had to flee northern Gaza and are now hoping to get to Egypt through the Rafah crossing.

    "We've experienced all sorts of horrible things", she tells reporter Marwan Al Ghoul from the BBC's partner in the US, CBS.

  13. Gaza's health ministry says 436 killed in a day as death toll passes 5,000published at 12:27 British Summer Time 23 October 2023
    Breaking

    We've had an update from the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza, which says the number of people killed in Gaza since 7 October has risen to 5,087 - an increase of 436 since yesterday.

    That includes 2,055 children, 1,119 women, and 217 elderly people, they say. More than 15,273 people have been injured.

    As a reminder, the health ministry, like other government agencies in the Gaza Strip, is controlled by Hamas.

  14. British-Israeli family say their relative has diedpublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 23 October 2023
    Breaking

    Lucy Manning
    Special correspondent

    Yosef Guedalia

    Another British-Israeli has been confirmed to have been killed in Hamas's attacks on Israel.

    Yosef Guedalia, 22, was a soldier in an anti-terror unit and killed while confronting Hamas gunmen at Kibbutz Kfar Aza when they attacked on 7 October.

    His brother Asher said he helped evacuate injured civilians before returning to fight Hamas gunmen.

    There is a video of Yosef carrying out an injured civilian who is now recovering in hospital, Asher says.

    His brother adds:

    Quote Message

    He literally saved people minutes before he got shot. He acted with heroism and determination, he continued to fight and didn’t think of himself or hesitate... he went into rescue as many citizens as possible before they got murdered in their homes and to kill as many terrorists as he could."

    Asher went on to say he was sure his brother understood "he might not get back to his wife and his family but that’s his calling. That’s the hero we had for 22 years".

    Yosef was about to celebrate his first wedding anniversary.

    Eleven Britons are now known to have been killed by Hamas. One has been kidnapped. At least four are still missing.

  15. Scottish first minister: My family in Gaza has six bottles of water for 100 peoplepublished at 11:52 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    First Minister Humza Yousaf spoke about the 'torture' his in-laws are enduring in GazaImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    First Minister Humza Yousaf spoke about the 'torture' his in-laws are enduring in Gaza

    Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf says his mother-in-law and her husband are living through "torture" as they remain stuck in Gaza.

    "They're down to six bottles of clean drinking water in a house of 100 people including a two-month-old baby, she tells me," Yousaf told journalists during a visit to Brechin.

    He stepped away to take her call and said the family never know whether they are "going to make it from one night to the next," as missiles, rocket fire and drones continue the whole night.

    Yousaf's in-laws were in Gaza visiting family when hostilities flared. He said he is pleading with the UK government on their behalf to demand the opening of the Rafah crossing and a ceasefire.

  16. What do we know about Israel's raids inside Gaza?published at 11:22 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    This morning we've been learning more about raids that Israeli soldiers have been carrying out within Gaza over the past 24 hours. Here's what we know:

    On Sunday:

    • Israel says its forces went west of the Gaza Strip fence on Sunday to clear the area of terrorists and weapons, and try and find hostages
    • According to the IDF,, external missiles were fired at them by Hamas - and one IDF soldier was killed and three others injured
    • The armed wing of Hamas say it happened east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza - the city where Palestinians had been told to go for their own safety - and Israeli soldiers crossed the fence "for several metres"
    • Hamas's armed wing says they "engaged with the infiltrating force" and claim they destroyed two bulldozers and a tank. They say Israeli soldiers left their vehicles and fled east of the fence on foot

    On Monday:

    • IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari says Israel carried out more raids into Gaza overnight
    • Hagari said: "During the night there were raids by tank and infantry forces. These raids are raids that kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for the next stage in the war. These are raids that go deep, to the contact line. These raids also locate and search for anything we can get in terms of intelligence on the missing and the hostages"

    But - it's not the first time we've known that Israeli troops have crossed into Gaza.

    In the first week of this conflict, Israel said soldiers and tanks had entered the Strip , externalin order to carry out raids to fight Hamas and try to find missing Israelis.

  17. Israel says 37 Hamas members arrested in West Bank overnightpublished at 11:16 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    Also away from Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces says it has arrested around 800 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank - including over 500 affiliated with Hamas - since the attack on Israel on 7 October.

    The IDF says 64 people were detained overnight, including 37 members of Hamas.

    Map showing West Bank
  18. Israel strikes 'suspicious target' that crossed from Lebanonpublished at 11:13 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    As we reported earlier, Israel says it has struck 20 Hezbollah "terrorist cells" across the Lebanese border since fighting broke out earlier this month.

    The IDF now says it has launched, external an interceptor missile at a "suspicious target" that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.

  19. Latest images from northern Gazapublished at 10:48 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    As we've been reporting, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says in the past 24 hours, it struck more than 320 targets throughout the Gaza Strip.

    Earlier, we shared some images of the damage in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

    We've also had pictures from the north - where Israel has warned residents to evacuate.

    Palestinians flee following an Israeli airstrikeImage source, EPA
    Image caption,

    Palestinians flee following an Israeli strike

    The remains of a mosque destroyed by strikes are inspectedImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The remains of a mosque destroyed by strikes are inspected

    A view from the southern Israeli city of Sderot shows smoke ascending over northern GazaImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    A view from the southern Israeli city of Sderot shows smoke over northern Gaza

    Palestinian homes hollowed-out by Israeli bombardmentImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Palestinian homes hollowed-out by Israeli bombardment

  20. Israeli military says it struck eight 'terrorist cells' in Lebanonpublished at 10:37 British Summer Time 23 October 2023

    We've been focusing this morning on what's happening in southern Israel and Gaza - but there is also violence at the border with Lebanon.

    Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari says the IDF struck "eight terrorist cells" in Lebanon in the past 24 hours.

    Seven of those were struck before they managed to fire anti-tank missiles and rockets, he said.

    Hagari also said 20 Hezbollah cells had been struck since fighting broke out on the border earlier this month.