Israel-Gaza live: Netanyahu vows Hamas will pay heavy price over hostage deaths

The spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, announced on Monday that the group has issued new instructions to guards on how to handle hostages if Israeli forces approach their locations in Gaza.

On Sunday, the Israeli military reported the recovery of the bodies of six hostages from a tunnel in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, claiming that Hamas was responsible for their deaths. Ubaida said his group holds Israel responsible for the deaths.

He said the new instructions, which he didn’t detail, were given to guards of hostages after a rescue operation by Israel in June. At that time, Israeli forces freed four hostages in a deadly raid in which dozens of Palestinians, including women and children, were killed.

“Netanyahu’s insistence to free prisoners through military pressure, instead of sealing a deal means they will be returned to their families in shrouds. Their families must choose whether they want them dead or alive,” he said.

Israel and Hamas have failed to conclude a deal that would end the war and see the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza in return for many Palestinians jailed by Israel.

Hamas wants any agreement to end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza while Netanyahu says the war can only end once Hamas is defeated.

Below we have some photos from the funeral held today for Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the US-Israeli hostage killed while being held captive in Gaza.

The European Union’s mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, has said that “several fires” continued to burn on MV Sounion after a recent attack by the Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi movement, adding that there were no visible signs of an oil spill.

You can read more about the initial attack and subsequent fires here.

Israel‘s foreign minister has said that Britain’s decision to suspend some of its arms export licenses with Israel was disappointing and sends problematic message to Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and its Iranian backers.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that Israel was “disappointed by a series of decisions” made by the British government, including the decision regarding defense exports.

Katz said the move “sends a very problematic message” to Hamas and its patrons in Iran.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is “incumbent” on Israel to “stand united” as the country reels from a day of protest against the leader.

“It is incumbent on us to stand united,” he said, after suggesting that Hamas was trying to sow division among Israelis.

“We have to act together so that the other side will understand … that we will not give in on the things that are essential.

“I gave all sorts of flexibility but if they are existential threats, we will stand together. The moment Hamas understands that, the moment there will be a deal.”

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel must control the Philadelphi corridor between Gaza and Egypt.

“Once we leave it, we will never be able to go back. So we are not going to leave for 42 days,” he said.

“That’s the only thing that can prevent the hostages being smuggled out of the land. They could smuggle them out to Sinai. They could just go over the border and disappear. They could suddenly find themselves in Yemen or Iran.

“So we are not going to give it up. It is a horrific trap. It is a strategic, existential issue.”

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas will “pay a heavy price” for the death of six hostages.

In a press conference, he said: “Israel will not accept the massacre of six hostages. Hamas will pay a heavy price.”

Britain still supports Israel‘s right to self defence in accordance with international law, Foreign Secretary David Lammy told parliament on Monday after he announced the suspension of 30 arms export licences to Israel.

“Let me leave this house (lower house of parliament) in no doubt: The UK continues to support Israel‘s right to self defence in accordance with international law,” Lammy told lawmakers.