israel hostages

Families with relatives still being held in Gaza say they don’t care about the Israeli government’s declared aim of eliminating Hamas, and that they just want the hostages back, and peace.

The truce between Israel and Hamas has continued for a fifth day, but it’s looking increasingly fragile after both sides accused each other of violations. 

We’re joined by Moty Cristal, a crisis negotiator and former member of the Israeli government.

We’re joined by Rotem Akav in Tel Aviv, whose cousin Omer Wenkert was taken as a hostage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting his cabinet amid hopes that a deal to release some of the nearly 240 people being held hostage in Gaza could be imminent.

We spoke earlier to Relik Shafir, a former Israeli Brigadier General.

Our foreign affairs correspondent Secunder Kermani was in Tel Aviv and had this update.

Israeli soldiers are continuing to search the al Shifa hospital in Gaza City – where they say Hamas has based its command centre deep underground. Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the UK – has denied the claim. 

The Israeli Defence Forces have said this evening that they are continuing their operation in Gaza’s biggest hospital, after entering Al Shifa in the early hours this morning.