Image source, Getty Images

We’ve been listening to a Middle East update from White House security spokesman John Kirby, who has been talking about the pause in fighting, which is due to expire on Friday morning.

Kirby says the US was working along with Israel, Qatar and Egypt to try and extend it - and they are working “literally by the hour” trying to turn the seventh day of temporary ceasefire into a “ninth, a tenth,” and beyond.

But there were no updates on the likelihood of an extension, or if more hostages would be released any time soon.

He did say the US would continue to support Israel if fighting resumes, and made it clear that Israel has the right to “go after Hamas”.

Kirby then pointed to the gunmen who killed three people in Jerusalem during Thursday morning’s rush hour. Hamas has claimed responsibility, and Kirby called it an example of the threat Israeli people face from Hamas.

Night has now fallen in Israel and Gaza, on the seventh day of the temporary ceasefire which is due to expire on Friday morning. Here are some of the pictures from today:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Satellite images show nearly 100,000 buildings may be damaged in Gazapublished at 18:54 Greenwich Mean Time 30 November 2023

18:54 GMT 30 November 2023

Over to the situation in Gaza, and new satellite images commissioned by the BBC reveal the extent of destruction across the north of the Strip, before the start of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The satellite images were taken last Thursday, just before the suspension of hostilities came into force, following weeks of Israeli air strikes and on-the-ground fighting.

As the image below shows, a whole series of craters are visible in what was once a residential area. Some of the buildings on the beach front, which boasted Gaza's first five-star hotel, the Al-Mashtal, as well as huts and restaurants, appear to have been partially destroyed.

Read the full piece here.

Image source, Handout

One of the two hostages freed this evening, Mia Schem, has been reunited with her family in Israel.

Images released to the media show the mother and daughter hugging, though Schem does not use her bandaged right arm in the hug.

A video posted by Hamas more than a week after her kidnapping showed her with an injured arm being treated while she was in captivity.

Image source, Handout

Image source, Hostages and Missing Families Forum

An Israeli man who had been presumed kidnapped has now been confirmed as being killed on 7 October, Israeli media are reporting.

Aviv Atzili had been missing since the 7 October attacks and was believed to be a hostage held in Gaza.

His wife, Liat Beinin Atzili, a US-Israeli citizen, was among the hostages released yesterday.

Kibbutz Nir Oz - where they lived - has just announced that Atzili was killed on 7 October, Israeli media reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken of "great joy" at the news French-Israeli hostage, 21-year-old Mia Schem has been released from Gaza.

"Mia Schem is free. It is a great joy that I share with her family and all French people," Macron posted to social media, external.

"I also express my solidarity with all those who remain hostages of Hamas. France is working with its partners to obtain their release as soon as possible," he added.

Schem is the second French-Israeli hostage to be freed by Hamas. On Tuesday, 12-year-old Eitan Yahalomi was released as part of the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas. The moment he hugged his mother for the first time was captured on video, which you can watch here.

Image source, Getty Images

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken earlier met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, a city in the West Bank, and told him the US was committed to taking "tangible steps to advance" a Palestinian state.

He "condemned extremist violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank" and said he would continue to insist on full accountability for those responsible, the US said in a statement afterwards.

Yesterday two Palestinian boys, aged eight and 14, were shot and killed during an Israeli army incursion into Jenin city in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The UN says more than, external 230 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since 7 October - the majority by Israeli forces but eight by Israeli settlers.

We're expecting to hear more from Blinken at a press conference scheduled for 19.15 GMT.

This is the moment the mother of Mia Schem learned that her daughter was being released.

The 21-year-old was handed over to representatives of the Red Cross, and has now arrived in Israel.

The temporary ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is now in its seventh day - and two more hostages have just been freed by Israel. Here’s a quick recap of what’s been happening on Thursday:

On the hostages:

• Two woman have been freed by Hamas and are now in Israel being taken to an air base, Israel has said. One of them is Mia Schem, 21, who was abducted from the Supernova music festival on 7 October and was the first person to appear in a hostage video released by Hamas
• Also freed is 40-year-old lawyer Amit Soussana, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Azar
• Israel says that in the next few hours, more Israeli hostages are expected to be transferred to the Red Cross
• In exchange, 30 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released tonight. Advocacy group the Palestinian Prisoners Club has released a list, which it says includes 22 children and eight women.

In other developments:

• The US's top diplomat Antony Blinken is visiting the Middle East for a third time, and today warned Israel it needs to "take every possible measure to avoid civilian harm" if fighting resumes in Gaza. As our diplomatic correspondent writes, the message from the US seems clear - there needs to be a change of tactics, to avoid killing thousands more Palestinian civilians.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Blinken that Israel will continue the war until all the hostages are free and Hamas has been completely "eliminated"
• Hamas has said a shooting in Jerusalem this morning which killed three people and injured 16 others was carried out by its members
• Talks continue to extend the temporary ceasefire - and Egyptian officials say they and Qatar, who are mediating, are pushing to extend it by two more days

The advocacy group the Palestinian Prisoners Club has published its list, external of Palestinians held in Israeli jails who it says are expected to be released today as part of the truce exchange deal.

There are 22 minors and eight women on that list.

The 30 have been chosen from an original list of 300 Palestinians compiled by Israel - accused of a range of offences, from throwing stones to incitement to attempted murder.

Less than a quarter of those on that list had been convicted – the vast majority were being held on remand while awaiting trial.

Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem

Two Israeli hostages have already been released today.

Pictures broadcast on Israeli TV showed 21-year old Mia Schem and 40-year old Amit Soussana being handed over to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Both have now arrived in Israel.

It’s not immediately clear why the two women, both dual nationals, were freed before another 6-8 hostages whose release is also expected today.

They were released in Palestine Square, in the centre of Gaza City, not far from areas already under Israeli military control.

Once again, a large crowd of civilians was present to witness the handover.

This is the first glimpse of Mia Schem since a video was released by Hamas on 16 October showing her wounded arm being treated, with the sound of Israeli bombardment clearly audible in the background.

Image source, Handout

The other hostage who has just been released has been named as Amit Soussana, 40.

She was at home with a fever on 7 October, when Hamas attacked Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

Her family previously told the Times of Israel she had messaged to say she could hear shooting and was going to hide in her safe room. She was confirmed as a hostage on 29 October.

Soussana has three cats, enjoys rock music, and plays tennis in her free time, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said as they announced her release.

Image source, Hostages and Missing Families Forum

As we've reported, the IDF has said that two more Israeli hostages were released today.

One of them is reported to be 21-year-old Mia Schem, a dual French-Israeli national.

Schem was one of those taken hostage at the Supernova music festival in southern Israel on 7 October and brought back to Gaza. Soon after, Hamas released a video in which Mia appeared with a wounded arm. The video also showed her being treated for her injury and asking in Hebrew to be returned as quickly as possible to her family.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum describes Schem as "a young woman with an old soul" and says that she is studying tattooing, works at a tattoo parlour and enjoys drawing and cooking.

Mia went to the Supernova party with her good friend, Elia Toledano, 27, who was also kidnapped and is still believed to be held captive by Hamas.

We've just heard from the Israel Defense Forces which says the two released hostages are currently in Israeli territory and on their way to an air base.

We'll bring you more on who the two hostages next. More hostages are expected to be released later, the IDF previously said.

Two more hostages are currently on their way to Israeli territory - with more expected to be released later, Israel has said in the last half hour.

Speaking earlier, Israeli Defence Forces spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner described how it is a "heart-wrenching" wait for Israelis to find out which hostages are on the list to be released from Gaza each day.

"Every day here in Israel people, after four o'clock in the afternoon, are in anticipation, sitting around glued to televisions trying to understand, get any piece of information about what is happening, who is coming out, what is their situation," he told BBC News Channel.

Image source, EPA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also released a statement after meeting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv today.

He mentioned the deadly attack in Jerusalem this morning - which Hamas claimed was carried out by its members. Netanyahu said it was "the same Hamas that is trying to murder us everywhere".

"I told him: We have sworn, I have sworn, to eliminate Hamas. Nothing will stop us."

Netanyahu says he told Blinken that Israel will continue the war until it achieves “the three goals”, which he says are: “Freeing all of our hostages, completely eliminating Hamas and ensuring that no threat like this will ever come from Gaza again."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have just announced that two Israeli hostages are now in the care of the Red Cross and are on their way to Israel.

"Based on information that was received from the Red Cross, two Israeli hostages have been transferred to them and are on their way to Israeli territory," it said.

It added that more hostages are expected to be released in the coming hours. We will bring you more information on those hostages as it comes to light.

Image source, Reuters

More now from that US statement on Antony Blinken's meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu.

It said Blinken reaffirmed the US's support for "Israel’s right to protect itself from terrorist violence" while complying with international humanitarian law.

But it adds: "The secretary stressed the imperative of accounting for humanitarian and civilian protection needs in southern Gaza before any military operations there."

Since the war began, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 14,800 people have been killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign, including about 6,000 children.

As our diplomatic correspondent pointed out earlier, this shows the US's message to Israel seems clear - there must be a change of tactics.

We've just had a statement from the US State Department after top US diplomat Antony Blinken met with Israeli leaders this morning on his fourth visit to Israel since 7 October.

Blinken stressed that Israel must take "immediate steps to hold Jewish settler extremists accountable" for violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Yesterday two Palestinian boys, aged eight and 14, were shot and killed during an Israeli army incursion into Jenin city in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.

Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 7 October. The UN puts the figure, external at 238 Palestinians, including 63 children killed, adding that of those, 229 were killed by Israeli forces, eight by Israeli settlers and one either by forces or settlers.

Egypt and Qatar are pushing for a new two-day extension to the temporary ceasefire in Gaza, along with further Palestinian prisoner releases and an increase in humanitarian aid deliveries, a statement from Egypt's state media body said.

Earlier, a last-minute extension of the truce was agreed for a seventh day. Under the deal, 10 more Israeli hostages and another 30 Palestinian prisoners will be released, along with more aid delivered to Gaza.

"Egypt will continue to exert its utmost efforts to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid to the north and south of the Gaza Strip," the head of Egypt's state information service, Diaa Rashwan, said.

Qatar is mediating the talks between Israel and Hamas - which you can read more about here.