IDF says it mistakenly killed 3 Israeli hostages during fighting

Israel's Netanyahu has spent the past several weeks maneuvering to maintain power and shore up public support amid attacks from political rivals, pressure from the Biden administration, and growing international criticism of his handling of the war.

In an apparent effort to play to his right-wing base, Netanyahu publicly broke this week with President Biden and rejected any talk of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He called the Oslo peace agreement, which established the Palestinian Authority in 1994 and gave it the power to govern the West Bank and Gaza, a “mistake” that should not be repeated. The statement was a blunt rebuke of Biden, who has called for a “revamped” Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza after Hamas is defeated.

Netanyahu’s move follows a long-running pattern of the Israeli leader making hard-line statements for his own political gain, according to current and former Israeli officials, who asked not to be named.

U.S. and Israeli officials told NBC News that they fear Netanyahu has adopted some positions in the war against Hamas to prolong his own political survival.

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OFAKIM, ISRAEL — In a bomb shelter festooned with Israeli flags and colorful plastic bunting, children who lost parents in the Hamas attacks on Israel danced, sang and ate jelly donuts, courtesy of a young Californian boy who forged an unlikely bond with the devastated community.

At the center of Thursday’s bittersweet Hanukkah celebration was 13-year-old Ori Ohayon, whose father, Moshe, 52, and older brother, Eliad, 23, were killed when they confronted militants storming their small, conservative hometown of Ofakim in southern Israel. His mom Sarit and siblings Amitai, Yair, Shira, and Uri also survived.

Moshe and Eliad were among 48 people killed in the community, according to officials in the city, which sits around 11 miles east of the Gaza Strip.

After NBC News first met Ori as it reported on the tragedy that befell Ofakim, 12-year-old Chayton Tecumseh, thousands of miles away in California, was inspired to take action. And after reaching out to Ori, the pair communicated via video calls and text messages.

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TEL AVIV — "Free the hostages! Now!"

The chant that has become an almost daily occurrence in Tel Aviv rang out with renewed vigor tonight, after the IDF revealed it mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages in northern Gaza during the offensive to free the dozens still held captive by Hamas.

Hundreds of people filled the streets for an impromptu march outside Israel's Defense Ministry, bringing traffic to a halt as they called on Israel's leadership to do more to see the more than 100 hostages released.

“We came to support the hostages’ families whose children and babies, mothers, daughters, grandparents are kidnapped in Gaza,” said Guy Anitz, 30. Holding up an Israeli flag as he joined the march, he said that he didn’t personally know anyone taken hostage but felt compelled to make his voice heard.

“We’re asking our government to do more to bring them back — and safe," Anitz said. He said he largely blamed Hamas for the IDF’s accidental killing of three hostages.

He said he believed the fighting will continue until Hamas militants "put their guns down" and release the hostages.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the killings of three Israeli hostages in the crossfire in Gaza is "heartbreaking" and "tragic."

"I think the Israelis will certainly take a look at this and I’m sure they will do the forensics and to try to figure out ... how this happened," Kirby said. "It’s certainly the way we would approach a situation like this ... you want to know as many answers as we could."

Kirby warned about making a "broad judgment about the specific circumstances here" and Israel's ability to be more "precise" in its strikes on Gaza.

Kirby said that Biden has not yet had a conversation with Netanyahu about this incident, but that he has been briefed by his national security team.

Al Jazeera condemned the Israeli drone strike on a school in Gaza that killed one of its cameramen, Samer Abudaqa.

“The Network holds Israel accountable for systematically targeting and killing Al Jazeera journalists and their families," the network said in a statement, adding that the Khan Younis bombing by Israeli forces resulted in "indiscriminate casualties."

"Following Samer’s injury, he was left to bleed to death for over 5 hours, as Israeli forces prevented ambulances and rescue workers from reaching him, denying the much-needed emergency treatment," Al Jazeera said.

The network said Abudaqa's death marks over 90 journalists and media workers killed in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is mourning the three hostages who were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops during fighting in Shijaiyah in northern Gaza.

“‏Together with the entire people of Israel, I bow my head in deep sorrow and mourn the fall of three of our dear sons who were kidnapped, among them Yotam Chaim and Samer Fouad al-Talalka. This is an unbearable tragedy," he said on X.

"The entire State of Israel will mourn this evening," he continued. "I strengthen our brave warriors who penetrate the sacred mission of returning our abducted, even at the cost of their lives. Even on this difficult evening, we will bind up our wounds, learn the lessons and continue our utmost effort to return all our abductees home safely.”

Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz said “my heart is broken” over the accidental killing of three Israeli hostages by the IDF.

“I want to hug the families — the whole nation of Israel is crying with you,” he said on X. “I strengthen all the families of the abductees, as well as the soldiers who are deep in the territory and are carrying out a complex and important task, of which we have not known since the establishment of the state.”

“The pain that accompanies the campaign, grows more in the face of the difficult event," he continued. "Our responsibility is to win the war, and part of that victory will be to bring the abductees home."

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.”

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.

They were identified as Yotam Haim, who was kidnapped from kibbutz Kfar Aza, Samer Talalka, who was kidnapped from kibbutz Nir Am, and Alon Shamriz, who was abducted from Gaza City. All were kidnapped on Oct. 7 by Hamas, the IDF said.

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.”

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Palestinian man reacts to the destruction of homes in Rafah, after an Israeli bombardment in the southern Gaza Strip today.

Gaza should be “fully conquered,” Israel's Heritage Minister Ami Eliyahu said today as he also rejected a separate state for Palestinians.

In an interview with the KAN radio station, Eliyahu also dismissed the idea of a two-state solution, calling it a “delusion.”

“I don’t see the existing mechanisms of the Palestinians being able to manage the strip without creating new terrorist cells there.” he said.

Eliyahu, a member of the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, was barred from attending Cabinet meetings last month after he said in an interview that dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip was “one of the possibilities.”

Israel has revised the number of hostages being held in Gaza to 132, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement today.

Among those held captive are two children, 19 women and 113 men, the statement said, adding that 10 of them were elderly. Eleven hostages are foreigners, most of them from Thailand, the statement said.

Israel considers 20 civilians declared dead to still be hostages, the statement said. It added that five people were still missing.

The Israeli military said earlier today that it had recovered the bodies of three dead hostages in the Gaza Strip.

A man watches as smoke rises over northern Gaza, as viewed from the Israeli side of the border this morning.

A ship traveling from Oman to Saudi Arabia was targeted in the Red Sea today, sparking concerns about crew safety, the Danish shipping company Maersk said today in a statement to NBC News.

No injuries were reported, the statement said, adding the ship was a time charter vessel owned by Seaspan, sailing under the Hong Kong flag with the capacity of 10,100 containers.

The attack was claimed by Yemen-based Houthi rebels who said in a post on X that they attacked the ship using a drone and achieved a direct hit. A number of vessels have come under attack in recent recent by the militant group who say they are in support of Gaza.

“They continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from navigating in the Arab and Red Seas until they bring in the food and medicine that our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip need,” the post on X said.

A Dutch court rejected a request today by a group of human rights and humanitarian organizations to order a halt to the transfer to Israel of parts for F-35 fighter jets.

The organizations went to court Dec. 4 arguing that delivery of parts for F-35 jets makes the Netherlands complicit in possible war crimes being committed by Israel in its war with Hamas. The parts are stored in a warehouse in the Dutch town of Woensdrecht.

In a written statement, the court said that the judge who heard the civil case concluded that the Dutch government “weighed the relevant interests” before agreeing to the delivery of parts. It was not immediately clear if the groups that brought the civil case would appeal.

Government lawyer Reimer Veldhuis told the judge hearing the civil case that a ban on transfers from the Netherlands would effectively be meaningless as “the United States would deliver these parts to Israel from another place.”

The U.S. wants to see Israel distinguish between Hamas targets and innocent civilians, Sullivan said today.

"Israel has the intent to make sure that it is drawing those distinctions clearly and in a sustainable way. And we want to see the results match up to that," he told a news conference in Jerusalem, after meeting with Israeli officials.

Criticism of Israel's bombardment of Gaza has been mounting with the United Nations General Assembly voting overwhelmingly in favor of a cease-fire this week after U.S. vetoed a similar resolution in the Security Council.

The bodies of three hostages have been recovered and brought back to Israel, the country's military said on Telegram today.

The Israel Defense Forces identified them Nik Beizer, 19, Ron Sherman, 19, Elia Toledano, 28. All of them were taken captive by Hamas on Oct. 7, when the militant group launched a series of multipronged attacks on Israel, the IDF said.

Sherman and Beizer were also soldiers, it said, adding that their bodies had been brought back to Israel.

Sullivan said discussions were taking place to secure the release of more hostages held by Hamas, but he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic about further releases anytime soon. 

Palestinians carry the body of a person recovered from the debris following Israeli bombardment of Rafah in the southern Gaza today.

Israel’s president has joined the ranks of high-ranking officials to speak out against a two-state solution after the war in Gaza.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Isaac Herzog said it is not the time to be talking about establishing an independent Palestinian state when the country’s pain from Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack is still fresh.

“What I want to urge is against just saying two-state solution. Why? Because there is an emotional chapter here that must be dealt with. My nation is bereaving. My nation is in trauma,” he said.

Herzog spoke a day before a meeting with Sullivan. The Biden administration has said that after the war, efforts must be renewed to restart negotiations aimed at establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority.

• In Israel’s northern neighbor, worries grow that Netanyahu won’t stop with Gaza
• U.S. urges Israel to move to a new phase of its war against Hamas
• Israeli official denies report that war Cabinet blocked Mossad chief from resuming talks to free hostages
• ‘God help us’: Displaced Gazans who fled bombardment now face health crisis in a makeshift tent city
• Smashed toys and candy store fire raises questions over Israeli military’s conduct
• Nearly one-fifth of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza died due to friendly fire and other accidents, IDF says