Man dies hours after being detained by Israeli forces in West Bank
A Palestinian man has died hours after being arrested by Israeli forces in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank region.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said troops handed over the body of 58-year-old Ayman Rajeh Abed hours after he was detained around dawn during the sixth day of a major Israeli operation in the city.
According to the director of Jenin’s Wissam Bakr hospital, the man’s body showed signs of beatings and torture.
Israel’s military said Mr Abed had been arrested during counterterrorism operations and experienced a “cardiac event” on arrival at a detention facility.
“The IDF is aware of reports that the suspect died during his evacuation by the Red Crescent,” it said in a statement, adding that details of the incident were under review.
At least 29 Palestinians have been killed and another 121 wounded in Jenin and other areas of the West Bank, Palestinian health authorities claim.
In pictures: Fire lit and anger palpable as thousands of Israelis protest in Tel Aviv
Thousands of people have gathered on the streets of Tel Aviv for a second day of protests demanding that Benjamin Netanyahu agree a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas.
The wave of protests was sparked by the discovery of six hostages in Gaza at the weekend, who the Israeli military claim were brutally murdered not long before.
Angry Israeli citizens who blame Mr Netanyahu for their deaths are calling for an end to the war, in what appear to be some of the biggest demonstrations since the 7 October attacks.
Hamas gives new orders on handling hostages if Israeli forces approach
Hamas’s armed wing says it has issued new instructions to guards on handling hostages if Israeli forces approach detention sites.
Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for the militant group’s al-Qassam Brigades, did not explain what the new orders were.
He also said Israel was to blame for the deaths of the six hostages whose bodies were recovered on Saturday night.
The hostages, aged between 23 and 40 years old, were “brutally murdered” a short time before Israeli forces found them in an underground tunnel, according to the Israeli military.
In a news conference in the past hour, Benjamin Netanyahu asked for “forgiveness” over their deaths, saying Israel was “so close” to retrieving them alive (see posts from 18.26).
However he denied personal responsibility, and said their killings happened because Hamas did not want a deal.
Biden could offer final deal to Hamas and Israel as early as this week – report
Joe Biden could offer a final “take it or leave it” deal as soon as this week to negotiators working on a hostage and ceasefire agreement, our US partner network NBC News reports.
Two sources briefed on the discussions told the network that White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan suggested the move as an option during a virtual meeting with hostage families yesterday.
The US president told reporters earlier that a final deal was “very close”.
He also said he did not think Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to secure such an agreement.
Israeli defence minister ‘deeply disheartened’ over UK arms sales suspension
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant says he is “deeply disheartened” about the UK’s suspension of some arms exports to Israel.
He said the decision comes when Israel is fighting an “unprovoked” war “on seven different fronts”.
“At a time when we mourn six hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza. At a time when we fight to bring 101 hostages home,” he said in a post to X.
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz said the move is disappointing and sends a problematic message to Hamas and its Iranian backers (see 17.49 post).
Netanyahu: No one serious about peace should pressure Israel to meet Hamas’s demands
Benjamin Netanyahu says he doesn’t believe that “President Biden or anyone serious about achieving peace” would pressure Israel to accept Hamas’s demands after the killing of the six hostages in Gaza.
Speaking in English for the only time during the news conference, he says: “These murderers executed six of our hostages, they shot them in the back of the head… now, after this, we’re asked to show seriousness? We’re asked to make concessions?
“What message does this send to Hamas? It says kill more hostages, murder more hostages. You’ll get more concessions.”
“The pressure internationally must be directed at these killers,” says Mr Netanyahu.
He also says the end of the war will come when Hamas no longer rules Gaza.
The news conference with the Israeli leader has now ended.
Netanyahu says he is ‘like a bear’ in hostage talks and working ’24/7′ on deal
Israel’s leader says he has been “like a bear” in negotiations and is “fighting with everything I can” to achieve a deal to release hostages.
Benjamin Netanyahu says he works “24/7” and sleeps for only a few hours a night.
“I am looking for every way, every possibility in order to bring them back home,” he says.
He tells the news conference that he is insisting on bringing back as many live hostages from Gaza as possible, but claims he hasn’t “seen anything from Hamas”.
“I’m fighting over this with everything I can,” says Mr Netanyahu.
“I’m not going to criticise the bereaved families who think otherwise because I’ve been there like a bear.”
Israel leaving ‘element of surprise’ over ‘heavy price’ Hamas will pay, says Netanyahu
Taking questions from the media, Benjamin Netanyahu repeats that Hamas will “pay a heavy price” in the future for the killing of Israeli citizens.
“We’re working on it. I’m not going to tell you what that price is and when we’re going to do it, I’d like to leave an element of surprise,” he tells a journalist at the news conference in Tel Aviv.
He says Israel is not taking its foot “off the throat” of Hamas.
Netanyahu denies ‘personal responsibility’ over hostage deaths
The Israeli prime minister is next asked whether he has “personal responsibility” for the deaths of the six hostages in Gaza, due to his position on the Philadelphi corridor (more in our 18.26 post).
“I feel profound sorrow, I truly regret the fact that we didn’t bring them [back],” Benjamin Netanyahu says. “We were so close.”
However he denies that they were killed due to Israel’s insistence on keeping control over the strategic corridor.
“It happened because Hamas doesn’t want a deal,” he says.
Mr Netanyahu says he won’t place himself in a “trap” that won’t bring back hostages but will “create huge strategic problems”.
Israeli PM taking questions – and says he doesn’t believe Biden made deal comments
Benjamin Netanyahu is taking questions from journalists gathered at the news conference.
He is asked about Joe Biden’s comments that he is not “doing enough” to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal.
He says he doesn’t believe that the US president really made those comments.
Mr Biden made the remarks to reporters as he arrived at the White House earlier before a meeting with the hostage negotiation team – you can watch here: