Live

Israel-Gaza live updates: IDF says it's discovered one of Hamas' biggest tunnels

The 2 1/2-mile-long tunnel is large enough to drive a car through, the IDF said.

ByABC NEWS
Last Updated: December 17, 2023, 5:01 PM EST

The temporary cease-fire between Hamas and Israel ended on Dec. 1, and Israel has resumed its bombardment of Gaza.

The end of the cease-fire came after Hamas freed over 100 of the more than 200 people its militants took hostage during the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel. In exchange, Israel released more than 200 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.

Click here for updates from previous days.

Mar 1, 6:03 am

What we know about the conflict

The latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, has passed the four-month mark.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 30,228 people have been killed and 71,377 others have been wounded by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.

In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 6,900 others have been injured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

There has also been a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have killed at least 395 people in the territory since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The ongoing war began after Hamas-led militants launched an unprecedented incursion into southern Israel from neighboring Gaza via land, sea and air. Scores of people were killed while more than 200 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. The Israeli military subsequently launched retaliatory airstrikes followed by a ground invasion of Gaza, a 140-square-mile territory where more than 2 million Palestinians have lived under a blockade imposed by Israel and supported by Egypt since Hamas came to power in 2007. Gaza, unlike Israel, has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters.

Dec 16, 2023, 9:09 AM EST

IDF says soldier who shot hostages felt 'threatened' before they opened fire

The Israel Defense Forces released information regarding its preliminary investigation into the killing of hostages, saying that the incident took place in an area of "very intense fighting."

The three hostages came out of a building -- a few meters from the troops -- without shirts, carrying a stick with white cloth. A soldier saw them as a threat and opened fire, killing two hostages instantly, according to an IDF spokesperson.

The third was injured and ran back into the building where all three emerged from and someone cried "help" in Hebrew. At this point, the battalion commander ordered his troops to stop firing. But, despite the order, another burst was fired, killing the third hostage, according to an IDF spokesperson.

Yotam Haim, Alon Shamriz, and Samer Al-Talalka were mistakenly shot by Israeli troops on Dec. 15, 2023, in a battle-torn neighborhood of Gaza City.
Courtesy of the Haim Family, the Shamriz family, the Al-Talalka family via AP

The three men killed have been identified as 28-year old Yotam Haim; 26-year old Alon Shamriz; and 22-year old Samer Talalka.

The IDF said the three hostages were ‘mistakenly identified’ as a threat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident an "unbearable tragedy."

Dec 15, 2023, 6:01 PM EST

IDF mistakenly killed 3 Israeli hostages during combat in Gaza

Israeli forces mistakenly killed three Israeli hostages during combat in Shejaiya, Gaza, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said during a press briefing Friday.

The hostages 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 taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “an unbearable tragedy.”

“The entire State of Israel will mourn this evening. My heart goes out to the grieving families in their difficult time,” he said.

The IDF said "immediate lessons from the event have been learned, which have been passed on to all IDF troops in the field."
5:04

Israeli army mistakenly kills 3 hostages during combat in Gaza

The IDF said "immediate lessons from the event have been learned, which have been passed on to all IDF troops in the field."

The IDF said it’s reviewing the incident. The IDF said "immediate lessons from the event have been learned, which have been passed on to all IDF troops in the field."

Haim, 28, is survived by his parents, brother and sister, the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum said. He was a gifted musician, an animal lover and loved to cook Italian food, the forum said.

Shamriz, 26, lived in the Young Generation neighborhood of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, according to the forum.

Shamriz was slated to study computer engineering at Sapir College, the forum said.

"Alon's family and friends described him as a lover of life and a dedicated basketball fan. He played on the Sha'ar Hanegev basketball team," the forum said in a statement.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby called the incident "heartbreaking" and a "tragic mistake," adding it is not particularly a reflection of Israeli’s ability to be precise.

Dec 15, 2023, 4:07 PM EST

Kirby: 'Constructive' conversations with Israelis about military transition

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said conversations with the Israelis about transitioning to lower intensity military operations have been "constructive."

"There’s a general agreement that a transition to lower intensity operations obviously is going to be an important next step here," Kirby said. "The idea of transitioning into different phases is certainly a common practice among militaries as they conduct operations of this kind."

Smoke rising from Israeli air strikes on the city of Khan Yunis, Dec. 15, 2023 in Khan Yunis, Gaza.
Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images

-ABC News' Selina Wang

Dec 15, 2023, 2:33 PM EST

Al Jazeera cameraman killed in Gaza

Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa died in Gaza after he was struck and injured during combat in the region, ABC News has confirmed. He died at the scene before an ambulance could reach him.

Al Jazeera said its correspondent, Wael al-Dahdouh, was injured from shrapnel in the same incident.

Sixty-five journalists have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Smoke billows over the northern Gaza Strip during Israeli bombardment from southern Israel on Dec. 15, 2023.
Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

-ABC News' Nasser Atta and Sami Zayara

Related Topics