Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Tel Aviv

Image source, Lee Durant

People are gathering outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in what is now known as Hostages Square, following the deaths of three captives who were shot dead by mistake by the Israeli military.

The square has become a symbol of the agonising wait for the families. More than 100 people remain in captivity in Gaza.

Posters with the faces of the hostages, kidnapped 70 days ago, have been glued to lampposts and walls, together with the message: “Bring them home now.”

Since the end of a temporary ceasefire that allowed the release of around 100 captives, the families have urged the government to reach a new deal with Hamas for at least some of the remaining hostages to be freed.

The Israeli authorities, however, say that military pressure is the only way to bring them home. The incident - described as “tragic” by the Israeli military - will add pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the war in Gaza continues.

Image source, Lee Durant

A flying object, suspected to be a drone, has been shot down by Egypt's air defence, near the Red Sea coastal town of Dahab.

Witnesses in the resort, which is located on the eastern Sinai coast, said that they saw an object fall into the water and another come down in a nearby mountainous area.

In recent months, two Red Sea towns were subject to explosions caused by drones which Israel said were sent by Houthi rebels in Yemen, who declared their support for what they called "their brothers in Gaza" and have fired missiles and drones towards targets in Israel since the war began in October.

Following Israel's announcement that it will allow aid to get into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing - for the first time since the war began - the World Health Organization's representative in the enclave says more needs to be done.

It's good news, Richard Peeperkorn, told the BBC but he said there now needs to be a focus on making sure aid "trucks can go everywhere in Gaza - not just the south".

Peeperkorn said there were hospitals "barely functional" in the north - and "regular supplies" were needed there as a result, adding:

Ultimately, Peeperkorn said, "we are not only talking about getting supplies into Gaza, we’re talking about getting supplies to the people all over Gaza".

Previously aid had only been able to enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt, which can only process a limited number of vehicles.

Image source, .

Image source, Israeli Defence Forces

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has given an update on its operations in Gaza, posting footage on social media of what they say are raids on schools in Gaza City that are hiding Hamas members.

The footage shows soldiers shooting from behind the rubble of destroyed buildings of what it says is the Rimal neighbourhood close to the centre of the city.

The IDF said they had "eliminated" Hamas operatives in the fighting and that others they found in the schools, "surrendered and were arrested by the forces".

The IDF added that they had directed an aircraft to destroy a building in the Jabaliya area, where they say they had detected "the movement of a number of Hamas terrorists on the roof". They said shots were fired at them before they attacked the building.

In addition to the raids in Gaza City, the IDF gave details of operations in Khan Yunis, to the south of the Strip.

They said fighters had found "many weapons and underground infrastructure" following raids on apartments in the area.

Protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest against the mistaken killing of Israeli hostages in Gaza by the Israeli military.

The demonstrators called on the Israeli government to negotiate over the release of the remaining people being held by Hamas.

You can see scenes from the protest by clicking play above.

Tragic mistake highlights hostage dilemmapublished at 08:55 Greenwich Mean Time 16 December 2023

08:55 GMT 16 December 2023

Frank Gardner
BBC News, Security correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem

This tragic error by Israeli forces in Gaza throws an uncomfortable spotlight on the Israeli government’s controversial efforts to recover its hostages alive.

The official policy is that the best way to get them out of Gaza is to continue putting military pressure on Hamas. But relatives of the hostages, who vented their anger outside the Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv last night, worry that this is proving counter-productive.

One of their banners read: ‘Every day a hostage dies’. So far, 110 hostages have been released from Gaza – all through negotiation, mostly brokered by Qatar but also by Egypt, with additional involvement by the CIA.

But once Israel resumed its military campaign after the recent 7-day pause it has proved very hard indeed to find and free the remaining 100-plus hostages, held both above and below ground in this densely packed residential area.

So now there is pressure on the government to resume negotiations and there are reports that the head of Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, may soon be meeting the Qatari PM to discuss the issue.

Image source, HOSTAGE AND MISSING FAMILIES FORUM

As you will have seen from our earlier reporting, three men who had been taken to Gaza from Israel by Hamas during their 7 October attacks have been mistakenly killed by Israeli forces.

Yotam Haim, 28, Samer Talalka, 22, and Alon Shamriz, 26 were all mis-identified as a "threat" by Israel's armed forces. Here is some of what we know about the three men:

Yotam Haim was a musician who loved animals and cooking Italian food. He was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar by Hamas.

Samer Talalka was an avid motorcycle enthusiast who loved to travel in the countryside and spend time with friends. He was taken by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Am and a photograph of him being led through Gaza was widely shared on Telegram.

Alon Shamriz's family and friends described him as a lover of life and a dedicated basketball fan. He was taken from the same kibbutz as Yotam Haim during Hamas's attacks on 7 October.

• You can read more about Yotam, Samer and Alon here

Image source, Reuters

Hundreds of protestors gathered in Tel Aviv last night, following the news that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had "mistakenly" killed three men who were being held hostage in Gaza.

The protestors carried placards and candles as they marched to a military base in Tel Aviv and called on the Israeli government to negotiate a deal for the release of the remaining hostages captured by Hamas on 7 October.

Yotam Haim, Samer Talalka, and Alon Shamriz were shot by troops as they were mis-identified as a "threat", during the IDF's continuing ground offensive in northern Gaza.

The IDF has expressed "deep remorse" over the killings and has said it will launch an investigation.

More than 100 hostages abducted by Hamas remain in Gaza.

Image source, Reuters

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has described the accidental killing of three hostages in Gaza by Israeli forces a "tragic mistake".

"We don't have perfect visibility on exactly how this operation unfolded and how this tragic mistake was made," Kirby said.

Andrew Humphrey
Live reporter

If you’re just joining us this morning, here’s a quick catch-up on the latest developments in the Israel-Gaza war.

• The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says that they mistakenly killed three hostages being held in Gaza. The IDF said it expressed “deep remorse” over the tragic incident and that an investigation will be launched
• The announcement sparked protests in Tel Aviv, with calls for the Israeli government to do more to bring home the remaining hostages held in Gaza
• Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the deaths, describing their killings as, “an unbearable tragedy”
• Reports came in on Friday that an Al Jazeera journalist was killed in a missile strike in Khan Younis. Samer Abu Daqqa was a cameraman for the news organisation
• The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says that more than 18,800 people are now known to have been killed since Israel launched its retaliatory campaign after the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel

Stay with us as we continue to bring you all the latest developments.