The 3 mistakenly killed hostages had likely escaped or were abandoned by captors, IDF says
The three Israeli hostages mistakenly killed by the IDF are believed to have “either fled or were abandoned by terrorists,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said today.
“During the last few days, or this day, they reached the point they reached,” he said, answering reporters’ questions. “Unfortunately the tragic results of the event ended in their deaths.”
When asked if the abductees raised their hands or shouted for help in Hebrew, Hagari said: “We are in the first hours after this event, we are still with the families, after informing them we are updating the public.”
He vowed that there will be “full transparency” on what exactly happened, calling it a “tragic error.”
IDF says it mistakenly killed 3 Israeli hostages during fighting
Three Israeli hostages were “mistakenly identified” as a “threat” and killed by Israeli troops during fighting in Shijaiyah in northern Gaza, the IDF said today.
Two were identified as Yotam Haim, who was kidnapped from kibbutz Kfar Aza by Hamas on Oct. 7 and Samer Talalka, who was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Am. The third victim’s name was not shared at the request of his family.
The IDF said that suspicion immediately arose regarding the identity of the three hostages during a “scan and inspection of the area of the incident,” and the bodies were taken to Israeli territory for examination, where they were identified.
“This is a combat zone where there have been many incidents in recent days. Immediate lessons from the event are now being passed on to all the fighting forces in the field,” the IDF said in a statement. “The IDF expresses deep sorrow for the incident and shares in the grief of the families. The IDF will continue to act in all efforts to return the abductees home.”
Hamas says it fired a missile ‘barrage’ at Jerusalem, IDF confirms sirens activated around city
A “barrage” of missiles were fired at Jerusalem this evening in response to the “Zionist massacres against civilians,” Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, said.
It marks the first time in weeks that missiles aimed at the ancient city considered sacred in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The IDF said on X that sirens were sounding in Jerusalem. At least three were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome, Reuters reported.
Turkish agency photojournalist injured in east Jerusalem
Anadolu Agency photojournalist Mustafa Alkharouf was “violently attacked” by Israeli forces today near Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem, leaving him hospitalized, the agency said today in a report.
“Israeli police, who set up barricades in the area, first pulled their weapons at Alkharouf, who was covering the news, and then threw him to the ground, beating and kicking him while he was on the ground,” the agency reported, as a group of Palestinians gathered near the mosque to pray.
Alkharouf suffered several blows to his face and he was transported by ambulance to Makassed Hospital, the agency added.
NBC News has not independently verified the incident.
Shipping companies pause vessels in Red Sea because of ‘recent attacks’ near Yemen
Danish shipping company Maersk and German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced pauses today on container ship voyages near the Red Sea following recent attacks on vessels.
Maersk said it’s pausing until further notice all vessels due to pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in East Africa.
The company cited a “near-miss incident” involving the ship Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and “yet another attack on a container vessel today.” Maersk denied a claim by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement that the militia made a drone strike on the vessel. Maersk said that the ship was targeted by a missile, and the crew and vessel were reported safe.
“Ensuring the safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and our number one priority in handling this challenging situation,” Maersk said, while ensuring “the best possible stability of our customers’ supply chains.”
Hapag-Lloyd is pausing all container ship traffic through the Red Sea through Monday. Earlier, the company confirmed that its vessel Al Jasrah was attacked while sailing close to the coast of Yemen. No crew members were injured and that ship is now on its way to Singapore.
Parents mourn the loss of their 7-year-old daughter, killed by bomb fragment at Rafah crossing
Sidal Abu Jamea, 7, was asleep in a tent in Rafah, southern Gaza, when a bomb fragment struck and killed her. Her grieving parents told NBC News they had fled from Khan Younis to Rafah because they had been told they would be safe there.
White House adviser visits West Bank, meets with Abbas
Sullivan visited the occupied West Bank today where he met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas emphasized the need for “serious U.S. intervention” to curb the settler violence in the West Bank and urged the U.S. to compel Israel to end the war, the state news agency Wafa reported.
Sullivan had earlier called for the Palestinian Authority to be “revamped and revitalized” at a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem today.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. national security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Ramallah today.Thaer Ghanaim / Palestinian Press Office via AFP – Getty Images
Israel opens border crossing at Kerem Shalom for direct delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza
Israel announced today it will open its border crossing at Kerem Shalom for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
It’s the first time since hostilities began that humanitarian aid will cross directly into Gaza from Israel. Previously, aid from Egypt to Gaza flowed through the Rafah crossing, but the route was heavily congested and slowed by Israeli security checkpoints.
The decision to temporarily unload aid trucks on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing was approved by the Israeli government today, Netanyahu’s office said — a move Sullivan praised as a “significant step.”
“President Biden raised this issue in recent phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and it was an important topic of discussion during my visit to Israel over the past two days,” Sullivan said, noting the U.S. is “committed to expanding and sustaining” the flow of aid to Gaza.
“We hope that this new opening will ease congestion and help facilitate the delivery of lifesaving assistance to those who need it urgently in Gaza,” he said.
Video appears to show Israeli soldiers putting naked Palestinian prisoners on a bus
Marlene Lenthang and Lawahez Jabari
Alarming video appears to show three naked Palestinian prisoners being loaded onto a bus — their eyes blindfolded and their hands zip-tied together — in the winter cold.
The footage, shared by Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian Legislative Council member, shows a group of armed soldiers hurling insults and cursing at the prisoners in Arabic and Hebrew as they are loaded onto the bus. One soldier appears to spit on one of the prisoners before he is put on board.
Israeli soldiers load naked Palestinian prisoners onto a bus.via Mustafa Barghouti
Barghouti said the video shows “how the Israeli soldiers treat the Palestinian prisoners in Gaza.” It’s not clear where or when the clip was taken, nor who filmed the video or sent it to Barghouti.
The IDF said the prisoners depicted in the video are “suspected of involvement in terrorist activities and were apprehended by security forces shortly after the beginning of the ‘Swords of Iron’ War.” It said that the prisoners were provided with clothing upon “their arrival at the facility.”
It’s not clear if the prisoners depicted were later charged with any crime.
Concerns have emerged over the conduct of Israeli troops in the war, with videos showing soldiers setting items on fire and breaking children’s toys and gifts in a store. When asked about those clips, an IDF spokesperson said the conduct was “inappropriate.”
Speaking on other images and videos showing soldiers guarding kneeling men stripped to their underwear and blindfolded, the IDF said it is “often necessary for terror suspects to hand over their clothes … to ensure that they are not concealing explosive vests or other weaponry.”
Red Crescent concerned about a colleague arrested by Israeli forces in Gaza
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said today it is worried about the safety of Awni Khattab, head of the Khan Younis Emergency Center, who was arrested 23 days ago by Israeli forces in Gaza.
His whereabouts are unknown, the group said in a post on X.
Al Jazeera says Israeli drone strike wounds 2 of its journalists
Two Al Jazeera journalists were injured today as a result of a missile launched from an Israeli drone in Khan Younis, Gaza, the pan-Arab news channel said said.
Wael al-Dahdouh was hit by a shrapnel in his upper arm, it said, adding Samer Abudaqa was still trapped at the site of the incident.
“Abudaqa’s condition is believed to be more serious,” it said.
French Israeli citizen’s body found in Gaza, foreign minister says
France’s foreign minister says the body of a French Israeli citizen taken hostage by Hamas militants has been found in Gaza.
In a post on X, Catherine Colonna announced the death of Elia Toledano with “immense sadness.” She added that the Israeli military announced that his body had been found.
Toledano was reported to have been taken hostage at a music festival attacked by militants during Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault on Israel.
Group of Western nations calls for an end to settler violence in the occupied West Bank
A group of Western nations today described the increase in settler violence committed in the occupied West Bank as “unacceptable.”
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom were among the nations that released a joint statement condemning the violence.
“Israel’s failure to protect Palestinians and prosecute extremist settlers has led to an environment of near complete impunity in which settler violence has reached unprecedented levels,” the statement said.
“Those responsible for the violence must be brought to justice,” it added.
IDF says it has destroyed a Hamas command center
A command center belonging to Hamas’ Shejaiya Battalion was destroyed today, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement today, as its deepens its campaign in the besieged enclave.
The IDF also said it also killed Hamas militants in Khan Younis, raiding multiple underground shafts and striking a weapons storage compound.
“The troops located a tunnel shaft in which they located motorbikes,” it said, adding that they were used by militants to attack Israel on Oct. 7.
NBC News could not independently verify the claims.
Israeli bombardment leaves part of Rafah in ruins
A Palestinian man reacts to the destruction of homes in Rafah, after an Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza Strip today.
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