Israel furious as Britain suspends arms sales

Israel has accused the UK of rewarding Hamas terrorists after it announced plans to suspend some arms export licences.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, told MPs a two-month review had found a “clear risk” that UK arms may be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law.

He said Britain would immediately suspend 30 arms export licences to Israel, including components for military aircraft, helicopters and drones.

On Monday night, a senior Israeli official told The Telegraph the UK decision was a “reward for Hamas”, coming on the same day as the burial of six hostages executed by the terrorist organisation during the weekend.

It also prompted a backlash in the UK, where MPs accused the Government of having made the decision in response to demands from pro-Palestinian activists.

There were reports on Monday night of friction with the US over the decision. Washington has said there is no basis for a suspension of arms exports.

But US administration official pointed to different legal standards over arms sales in the UK and suggested there was no animosity between the White House and Downing Street over the decision.

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, said: “This comes at a time when we fight a war on seven different fronts – a war that was launched by a savage terrorist organisation, unprovoked.

“At a time when we mourn six hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza. At a time when we fight to bring 101 hostages home.”

A senior Israeli official told The Telegraph that Israel was “furious” with the decision that the UK should think about the “signal it sends to the world” two days after hostages were executed.

Israel Katz, the foreign minister, said: “A step of the type taken by Britain now sends a very problematic message to the terrorist organisation Hamas and its agents in Iran.”

Yaakov Amidror, a former national security advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said it “was another example of ignorance, anti-Semitism and a rotten moral attitude”. He added: “This is not about Israel, but about the UK.”

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Asked on Monday night to define his vision of victory in the war, Mr Netanyahu said: “I would define the end of the war when Hamas no longer rules Gaza. We throw them out.”

He also revealed he had asked the families of the murdered hostages for forgiveness, saying: “We were close, but we didn’t achieve it. Hamas will pay a very heavy price for this.”

During the general election campaign, Labour faced pressure from pro-Palestinian campaigners to take a tougher stance on Israel to win seats with large Muslim populations.

Five constituencies previously held by Labour MPs were taken by pro-Gaza independents. On Monday, the independents – including Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader – formed an “Independent Alliance” to boost their voice in the Commons.

On Monday night, Conservatives accused the Government of “appeasing” the hard Left with the arms sale decision.

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Robert Jenrick, who is standing for the Tory leadership, said: “This is shameful gesture politics to appease the hard Left. Britain should be standing with our ally Israel as it defends itself, and the world, against Iran’s war of state-sponsored terrorism.”

Andrew Mitchell, the shadow foreign secretary, claimed the step had “all the appearance of something designed to satisfy Labour’s backbenchers, while at the same time not offending Israel, an ally in the Middle East. I fear it will fail on both counts”.

Government sources insisted the security assessment leading up to the decision was taken by the same officials, and using the same parameters, as under the Tories. However, it could make it easier for Mr Lammy to avoid an embarrassing defeat over Gaza policy at this month’s Labour Party conference.

Announcing the decision to MPs, he said: “It is with regret that I inform the House today that the assessment I have received leaves me unable to conclude anything other than that for certain UK arms exports to Israel there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

“I have informed the Business and Trade Secretary, and he is therefore today announcing the suspension of around 30 from a total of approximately 350 to Israel, as required under the Export Control Act. These include equipment that we assess is for use in the current conflict in Gaza.”

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Boris Johnson accused Sir Keir and Mr Lammy of “abandoning Israel” with the decision.

The former Tory prime minister, added his voice to the criticism on Tuesday morning.

He tweeted: “Hamas is still holding many innocent Jewish hostages while Israel tries to prevent a repeat of the 7th October massacre. Why are Lammy and Starmer abandoning Israel? Do they want Hamas to win?”

While pro-Gaza MPs welcomed the move, a spokesman for Labour Friends of Israel said: “We are deeply concerned by the signal this sends to Iran, the world’s leading sponsor of state terrorism and Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in Ukraine.”

Phil Rosenberg, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “We have relayed our deep concern to the Government at the highest levels about the decision, and its timing today, to institute a partial arms sales suspension against Israel.”

Mr Lammy asked his department’s lawyers to review advice on arms exports to Israel on the day he became Foreign Secretary.

The Foreign Office is understood to have concluded there is a risk of violations in the areas of humanitarian provision and access and treatment of detainees. There was not enough evidence to draw a definitive conclusion about Israel’s campaign in Gaza, but the scale of destruction and civilian suffering raised serious concerns.

The suspensions represent one tenth of the 350 UK arms licences to Israel.

Lord Polak, honorary president of Conservative Friends of Israel, said Mr Lammy’s announcement was “appalling”. He added: “On the one hand they are saying they support Israel’s right to defend itself, but on the other they are deciding to tie one hand behind Israel’s back. Britain is supposed to be a friend of Israel.”

The Jewish Leadership Council said Mr Lammy’s decision “could place in jeopardy the long-standing defence and intelligence partnership between the UK and Israel, which is key to the UK’s own security.”

Despite the anger in Israel at the decision, it is not believed the country is planning a diplomatic reaction.

The UK has exported arms worth over £576 million to Israel since 2008, issuing 108 arms export licences between October 7 2023 and May 31 this year.

The export, which totalled £18.2 million in 2023, ranges from components for submarines, helicopters, F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as non-military equipment, such as telecommunications and chemical manufacturing equipment.

The F-35s are particularly important as they give Israel’s military air superiority in the region, being the only country in the Middle East to possess the fighters.

While Israel imports some 69 per cent of its arms from the US and less than one per cent from the UK, Giora Eiland, the former head of the Israeli National Security Council, told The Telegraph that the arms embargo could have “critical implications” and long-lasting effects for the Israeli army.

“It might create a delay of months or even more,” said Mr Eiland. “For Israel, it’s very severe.”

On Monday, Joe Biden accused Mr Netanyahu of not doing enough to reach a hostage deal as thousands of demonstrators shut down parts of Israel. The US president said a final deal to release Israelis held by Hamas was “very close”, but added that Mr Netanyahu was not doing enough to bring it over the line.

Thousands of Israelis held a protest over Mr Netanyahu’s failure to free all Israeli prisoners in Gaza on Monday amid a nationwide strike. The general strike, announced by the Histadrut worker’s union, shut down kindergartens, banks, universities, the airport and many businesses.

The Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said: “It beggars belief that the British Government, a close strategic ally of Israel, has announced a partial suspension of arms licences, at a time when Israel is fighting a war for its very survival on seven fronts forced upon it on Oct 7, and at the very moment when six hostages murdered in cold blood by cruel terrorists were being buried by their families.

“Sadly, this announcement will serve to encourage our shared enemies. It will not help to secure the release of the remaining 101 hostages, nor contribute to the peaceful future we wish and pray for, for all people in the region and beyond.

“Britain and Israel have so much to gain by standing together against our common enemies for the sake of a safer world. Surely that must be the way forward,” he added.

06:03 PM BST

That’s all for today

Thank you for following our live coverage of the UK’s decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel and the general strike across Israel earlier today.

We will be back soon with more updates and analysis from the Middle East.

05:51 PM BST

Israeli official calls UK decision ‘reward for Hamas’

A senior Israeli official told the Telegraph that the UK decision is a “reward for Hamas”.

The official called it a “miserable and insensitive decision” which comes “the same day as we bury hostages executed by Hamas.”

05:46 PM BST

Gallant ‘deeply disheartened’ by UK

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, said he was “deeply disheartened” to learn of the UK’s suspension of some export licenses to Israel.

He wrote on X: “Deeply disheartened to learn of the sanctions placed by the U.K. Government on export licenses to Israel’s defense establishment. This comes at a time when we fight a war on 7 different fronts - a war that was launched by a savage terrorist organization, unprovoked.

“At a time when we mourn 6 hostages who were executed in cold blood by Hamas inside tunnels in Gaza. At a time when we fight to bring 101 hostages home.”

05:39 PM BST

Israel’s foreign minister calls arms suspension ‘very problematic’

Israel Katz, Israel’s foreign minister, said Britain’s decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel sends a “very problematic” message.

“A step of the type taken by Britain now sends a very problematic message to the terrorist organization Hamas and its agents in Iran,” he said in a statement.

“Israel is disappointed by the series of recent decisions made by the British government, including the latest decision on defense exports to Israel, its decision to withdraw its request to submit a friendly position to the ICC, and its position regarding UNRWA, as well as the recent British conduct and statements in the UN Security Council.”

05:27 PM BST

UK also announces sanctions on IRGC officials

David Lammy also announced sanctions against three individuals within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force and an IRGC unit for threatening the stability of the Middle East.

“These targets seek to destabilise the region by sponsoring and providing weapons to Iranian proxy groups and partners across the region such as Lebanese-Hezbollah,” the foreign office said in a statement following the Foreign Secretary’s Commons speech.

05:19 PM BST

Israel ‘furious’ with UK decision, says senior official

A senior Israeli official told The Telegraph that Israel is “furious” with the decision by the UK and that they should think about the “signal it sends to the world” following Hamas’s execution of six hostages.

05:18 PM BST

Arms export suspension will be ‘kept under review’

David Lammy said the Government’s position on arms exports to Israel will be kept “under review”.

“We will continue to work with our allies to improve the situation,” he added. “And foreign policy of course involves tough choices. But I will always seek to take such decisions in line with our principles – and I will keep this the House updated, in line with my previous commitment.”

05:02 PM BST

‘Clear risk of serious violation of international law’, says Lammy

Britain will immediately suspend 30 of its arms export licenses with Israel because there is a “clear risk” such equipment might be used to “commit serious violations of international humanitarian law,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Monday.

04:50 PM BST

‘We do not take this decision lightly’

David Lammy told the Commons that the decision to suspend 30 out of 350 export licenses to Israel was not taken lightly.

“We do not take this decision lightly,” Mr Lammy said, adding that it was not an arms embargo.

Britain is among a number of Israel’s longstanding allies whose governments are under growing pressure to halt weapons exports because of the toll of the 11-month-old war in Gaza.

04:44 PM BST

Suspension will not affect F-35 components

David Lammy said the suspension of some export licenses will not be applied to UK-made components of the F-35 jet, unless they are bought directly by Israel.

Most F-35 components are sold via an international pool of parts to which Israel, and other countries, have access.

04:41 PM BST

Lammy: ‘UK continues to support Israel’s right to self defence’

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

“Let me leave this house in no doubt: The UK continues to support Israel’s right to self defence in accordance with international law,” he said.

“We will continue to work with Israel to tackle the threat from Iran,” Mr Lammy added.

04:37 PM BST

Watch: Commons live

Watch a livestream below inside the Commons after David Lammy announced a partial ban on arms exports to Israel.

04:28 PM BST

UK to suspend some arms exports to Israel

Britain will stop exporting some military equipment to Israel after concluding there is a risk they may be used in breach of humanitarian law in Gaza.

Around 30 licenses for the export of arms to Israel out of 350 will be affected, David Lammy has announced.

Aircraft, drones, helicopters and ground targeting equipment will be withheld.

The decision was made under the strategic export licensing criteria, which bans the export of items if there is a risk of them being used for violation of humanitarian law in the areas of humanitarian provision and access, treatment of detainees, and prosecution of military campaigns.

Mr Lammy asked his department’s lawyers to review advice on exports to Israel the day he became foreign secretary.

03:33 PM BST

Netanyahu ‘will not bow to pressure from a general strike’

Benjamin Netanyahu has told his cabinet that Israel will not bow to the pressure of a general strike and dilute its negotiating position on a ceasefire with Hamas.

Israel’s security cabinet met on Monday afternoon as protesters staged demonstrations across the country in the wake of the killing of six hostages in Gaza on Saturday.

Mr Netanyahu told the ministers that Israel will not relent on its key demand – to keep control of the buffer zone separating Gaza from Egypt – as part of any ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli prime minister insisted there would be a “strong response” to the killing of the hostages but it would not involve ceding control of the buffer zone, known as the Phildadelphi Corridor.

Mr Netanyahu was referring to a US-led proposal that Israel would leave the corridor during the first six weeks of the first phase of a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.

An Israeli official told The Telegraph that Mr Netanyahu said: “Everyone who says that it is possible to leave the Philadelphi Corridor for 42 days, knows very well that it will be for 42 years.

“The world will not allow us to return. Everyone understands the importance of Philadelphi and [Hamas leader] Sinwar understands it best. That is why he insists,” Mr. Netanyahu added, according to the official.

“If we change the cabinet’s decision, it will be rewarding terrorists, you will not bring back the hostages.”

03:28 PM BST

Biden says Netanyahu not doing enough to reach hostage deal

Joe Biden said a final hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas was “very close” but that Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to complete it.

The US president was speaking to reporters at the White House after Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six murdered hostages in Gaza over the weekend.

Asked whether he thought Mr Netanyahu was doing enough, Mr Biden said “no”, without further elaborating.

Earlier, the US, Egypt and Qatar said they had planned to present a final “take it or leave it” deal to Hamas and Israel. “You can’t keep negotiating this. This process has to be called at some point,” one official told the Washington Post.

03:10 PM BST

Israeli air strike kills two civilians in southern Lebanon

An Israeli air strike killed two civilians travelling in a car along Lebanon’s southern coast on Monday, security sources said. One was an employee of a cleaning company contracted by the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

The force, known as Unifil, confirmed that a vehicle driven by the cleaning worker was hit near the southern Lebanon town of Naqoura, killing both the driver and passenger.

“Unifil deplores that so many people have been hurt or killed since Oct 8. Attacks on civilians are violations of international humanitarian law. They must stop,” said Unifil spokesperson Kandice Ardiel.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

02:59 PM BST

In pictures

02:21 PM BST

More on the funeral of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Scores of mourners waving Israeli flags held a procession on Monday from the home of US-Israeli man Hersh Goldberg-Polin, taken prisoner and killed by Hamas, to the Jerusalem cemetery where he was to be buried.

Some in the crowd that gathered on Monday wore red T-shirts with Goldberg-Polin’s picture and the word “sorry”.

Jean-Marc Liling, a friend of Goldberg-Polin’s family for two decades, told AFP that before Sunday he “believed Hersh would come back alive”.

Unable to hold back his tears, Mr Liling described Goldberg-Polin as someone “who believed in co-existence with Palestinians”.

02:06 PM BST

Opposition leader Lapid attends protests

Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, has been pictured at the nationwide strike.

Mr Lapid called on every Israeli “whose heart was broken” to join protests in Tel Aviv on Sunday, and on Israel’s main labour unions, businesses and city authorities to go on strike.

01:56 PM BST

Thousands attend funeral procession of murdered hostage

Thousands of people have lined Jerusalem’s streets to pay their respects to the murdered hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old American-Israeli, was one of 40 people taken hostage at an outdoor dance festival where thousands of people were partying in the dawn hours of Oct 7 when the attackers struck.

He was shown in a hostage video released by Hamas earlier this year, with part of his left arm missing. He said he had been “here for almost 200 days” and called on his parents to stay strong for him.

On Sunday he and five other hostages were found dead in a tunnel in Rafah.

He is set to be interred at 4pm local time.

01:22 PM BST

Trade union chief thanks protestors

Arnon Bar-David – the chairman of Histadrut Labour Federation, Israel’s main trade union, which launched the strike – has thanked protestors and said he respects the decision by the labour court to end the strike at 2:30pm.

“It is important to emphasise that the solidarity strike was a significant measure and I stand behind it. Despite the attempts to paint solidarity as political, hundreds of thousands of citizens voted with their feet,” he said in a statement, reported by the Times of Israel.

“I thank every one of you – you proved that the fate of the hostages is not Right-wing or Left-wing, there is only life or death, and we won’t allow life to be abandoned,” he reportedly said.

01:09 PM BST

Far-right minister welcomes court judgement

The labour court’s ruling that today’s strike must end has been welcomed by Israel’s finance minister.

In a post on social media, Bezalel Smotrich said the court agreed with him that the strike was “political and illegal”.

According to local media, Mr Smotrich had filed an injunction against the action with the court.

01:07 PM BST

ICYMI: Israeli protesters clash with police as fury over Gaza hostage deaths escalates

01:00 PM BST

‘Talks not reached their goals’

An Israeli official has told The Telegraph that Hamas’s execution of six hostages, and subsequent chaos in Israel, show how important it is for the US, Qatar and Egypt to use their influence to get a ceasefire.

“The talks at the moment have not reached their goals. The last two days have clearly illustrated that it is up to the mediators to pressure all parties to agree to a deal,” the official said.

12:46 PM BST

Hostage families call on public to continue strike

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has encouraged the public to continue the mass strike despite Israel’s labour court ordering it to end.

“This is not about a strike, this is about rescuing the 101 hostages that were abandoned by [Benjamin] Netanyahu with the cabinet decision last Thursday,” the forum said, referring to the vote on Israeli forces maintaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor, the strip of land between Egypt and Gaza.

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12:38 PM BST

48 Palestinians killed in 24 hours, say Gaza authorities

Israeli forces killed at least 48 Palestinians in the past 24 hours across the Gaza Strip as they battled Hamas-led militants, Palestinian officials claimed on Monday.

Seven Palestinians were killed in two Israeli air strikes on Gaza City, the officials said, while two air strikes killed six others in Bureij and Nuseirat, two of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

12:12 PM BST

In pictures: Monday’s nationwide strike

11:55 AM BST

General strike must end early, Israeli court rules

Israel’s labour court in Tel Aviv has ruled that the general strike must end at 2.30pm local time – three and a half hours earlier than expected.

11:43 AM BST

Saudi-owned vessel attacked in Red Sea

A Saudi-owned vessel has been attacked in the Red Sea, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday.

It was unclear if the ship was attacked by Iran-aligned Houthi militants.

Earlier, British maritime agencies reported that a merchant vessel was hit by a drone some 50 nautical miles off Yemen’s Hodeidah, a Red Sea port just south of Saleef.

11:22 AM BST

Police clash with protesters in Israel as fury over hostage deaths grows

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10:52 AM BST

Gaza authorities claim 40,786 Palestinians killed since Oct 7

At least 40,786 Palestinians have been killed and 94,224 wounded in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since Oct 7, the Hamas-run health authority said on Monday.

10:49 AM BST

Strike actions brings parts of Israel to halt

Strike action has brought parts of Israel to a halt in a bid to pressure the government to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, after the military recovered the bodies of six captives that the health ministry said had been “murdered” by Hamas.

Relatives and demonstrators have accused Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of not doing enough to bring the hostages back alive, and during mass rallies on Sunday called for a truce deal to help free dozens who remain captive.

Several major cities across Israel joined the strike, closing schools and other services for several hours.

10:45 AM BST

Israeli protester waves flag near blaze as protests in Israel continue

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10:37 AM BST

Ben Gurion International Airport begins checking people in

Ben Gurion International Airport has slowly begun checking people in after staff stopped working this morning as part of the general strike.

Long lines were seen at the airport, which has not announced when it will resume full work capacity. Services were planned to restart at 10:00 AM local time.

10:32 AM BST

In pictures

10:18 AM BST

US, Egypt and Qatar to present final ‘take it or leave it’ deal

The US, Egypt and Qatar plan to present a final “take it or leave it” deal to Hamas and Israel, according to a senior US official.

“You can’t keep negotiating this. This process has to be called at some point,” the official told the Washington Post, adding that Washington, Cairo and Doha had been preparing a “final proposal” before the execution of six hostages in Gaza.

“Does it derail the deal? No. If anything, it should add additional urgency in this closing phase, which we were already in,” the official added.

The White House said on Monday that Joe Biden, the US president, will sit down with Washington’s ceasefire negotiators.

09:58 AM BST

Strike to end tonight

The chairman of Histadrut, the General Federation of Labour in Israel, announced that the strike will end tonight at 6pm local time.

09:53 AM BST

Hamas claims responsibility for two attacks in West Bank

Hamas’s armed wing al-Qassam brigades claimed responsibility for two attacks against Israelis in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the group said in a statement on Monday.

Three Israelis were injured in two separate attacks that occurred in the Karmei Tzur settlement and the Gush Etzion Junction.

09:44 AM BST

Counter protestors say general strike is ‘prize for Hamas’

Right-wing counter-protestors in Jerusalem are calling on the public not to turn their anger against the government but against Hamas.

The protestors say the general strike is a “prize for Hamas”.

“This is encouraging terror,” said one protestor.

09:36 AM BST

Israel will ‘respond with full force’ after hostage deaths

Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, said his country will “respond with full force” after the discovery of the bodies of six hostages at the weekend.

Mr Katz wrote on social media:

09:15 AM BST

Israeli strike disrupts flights and buses

Services including banks, hospitals and transport in several Israeli districts have been disrupted by the country’s general strike, which is aimed at pressuring Benjamin Netanyahu into agreeing to a deal to bring Israeli hostages in Gaza home.

Some flights at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main air transport hub, are suspended, although incoming planes are still landing. Bus and light rail services in many areas are either cancelled or only partially functioning.

Workers at Israel’s main commercial port Haifa are also on strike.

Hospitals are only partially operating and banks are not working.

Many private sector businesses are open – but employers are allowing staff to join the strike.

08:51 AM BST

Government files injunction to halt general strike

Israeli media are reporting that the government has filed an injunction with the National Labour Court against the general strike.

Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, contacted Gali Baharav-Miara, the attorney general, on Sunday requesting a petition for an injunction. It appears she approved the request on Monday, according to Haaretz.

The Regional Labour Court will hear a request for injunctions at 10.30am local time (8.30am BST) submitted by the Gevurah Forum, a group which opposes the hostage deal.

Gevurah Forum’s request states “this is clearly a political strike, blatantly illegal, carried out in a bullying manner”.

08:38 AM BST

Biden and Harris to meet US negotiating team on Gaza hostage deal

Joe Biden, the US president, will sit down on Monday with US negotiators pushing for a hostage-release deal, the White House said, after the deaths of six captives in Gaza, including an American citizen.

Mr Biden’s official schedule was revised to make time for the meeting at the White House, which will also be attended by vice president Kamala Harris, who is running to succeed him in November’s presidential election.

A statement announcing Mr Biden’s updated schedule said he and Ms Harris would meet “the US hostage deal negotiating team following the murder of American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas on Saturday, and discuss efforts to drive towards a deal that secures the release of the remaining hostages.”

The United States, along with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar, has spent months pushing for a hostage-prisoner exchange and ceasefire in the war in Gaza.

08:27 AM BST

Dozens protest against ‘government of death’

A number of protestors are carrying printed signs reading “Against the government of death”, according to The Times of Israel.

The protestors are gathered at Karkur Junction in northern Israel. Last night activists shut down traffic on Route 65 at the junction, the site of weekly rallies during the 2023 anti-government protests.

08:24 AM BST

Red Sea ship attack

A suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said.

Two projectiles hit the vessel, and a third explosion occurred near the ship, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said.

“Damage control is underway,” the centre said. “There are no casualties onboard and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.”

The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. However, it can take the rebels hours or even days to acknowledge their assaults.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

08:17 AM BST

In pictures: last night’s protests

07:57 AM BST

Netanyahu to push for deal ‘only when streets are burning’

Benjamin Netanyahu will push for a deal with Hamas “only when the streets are burning,” an Israeli minister said as the country’s nationwide general strike began.

“It’s unpleasant to admit, but Netanyahu will push for a deal only when the streets are burning,” one minister from the prime minister’s own party told Haaretz newspaper. “Right now, he fears [far-right ministers Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [Bezalel] Smotrich more than he fears the families of the hostages.”

Mr Netanyahu is widely accused of making a deal with Hamas impossible, due to opposition from far-right cabinet members in his government. They have said they will leave his coalition should he agree to a ceasefire, meaning Mr Netanyahu may have to face long-standing corruption allegations.

07:51 AM BST

Watch: Protests erupt across Israel following hostage deaths

Israelis are holding a nationwide general strike in a bid to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting a Gaza ceasefire deal.

Arnon Bar-David, the head of the Histadrut labour union, on Sunday called for “all civilian workers” to join the strike, which is planned to last one day but could be extended.

07:37 AM BST

Protesters plan to block major roads

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum have announced more than a dozen protest locations around Israel.

These are mostly major roads and intersections around Tel Aviv and the north, where protesters plan to block traffic.

The protests are a continuation of those seen yesterday, in which thousands took to the streets to call for the government to accept a deal that would see the remaining hostages returned to Israel.

07:14 AM BST

Polio vaccine campaign under way in Gaza

A large-scale polio vaccine campaign started this weekend in the Gaza Strip, after it recently reported its first polio case in 25 years, which left a 10-month-old boy paralysed in his leg.

The World Health Organization says the presence of a paralysis case indicates there could be hundreds more who have been infected but are not showing symptoms.

Authorities plan to vaccinate children in central Gaza until Wednesday before moving on to the more devastated northern and southern parts of the strip. The campaign began with a small number of vaccinations on Saturday and aims to reach about 640,000 children.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 72,600 children received vaccines on Sunday.

The World Health Organization has said Israel agreed to limited pauses in the fighting to facilitate the campaign. There were initial reports of Israeli strikes in central Gaza early on Sunday, but it was not immediately known if anyone was killed or wounded. The pause ended Sunday afternoon, according to a schedule released by Israel.

06:31 AM BST

Who is striking across Israel?

Unions have threatened to paralyse the economy with a nationwide shutdown on Monday.

The following groups are also reportedly backing the strike:

• the Israel Business Forum, which represents most private-sector workers from 200 major companies

• the Israel Bar Association, which called on all lawyers to stop work

• the Teacher’s Union

• the Association of University Heads

• the Manufacturers Association of Israel

• major bus companies

Disruptions to flights to and from the Ben Gurion international airport are also expected.

06:01 AM BST

Palestinians search for bodies in school rubble

The bodies of at least 11 Palestinians have been recovered from the Sadaf school so far following Israel’s strike on the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City on Sunday.

The search continues.

05:40 AM BST

Report: US planning to present a ‘take it or leave it’ deal

The US is in discussions with mediating partners Egypt and Qatar about the details of a final “take it or leave it” deal that it could present to Hamas and Israel in the coming weeks, the Washington Post reports.

An unnamed Biden administration official told the Post that if Israel and Hamas fail to accept the proposal, the US could stop leading negotiation efforts.

“You can’t keep negotiating this. This process has to be called at some point,” they were quoted as saying.

05:34 AM BST

Strike on ship

We’re hearing reports of a ship being attacked northwest of Yemen.

Details are scant but an advisory note from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said that a merchant vessel was hit by two unknown projectiles.

No casualties have been reported.

Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November in solidarity with Palestinians.

05:18 AM BST

PMs call for immediate ceasefire

Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian prime minister, and his New Zealand counterpart Chris Luxon said they were united in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an attempt to negotiate a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

“We both are very united in calling for an immediate ceasefire, getting the parties around the negotiating table and finding a two-state solution,” Mr Luxon said at a joint press conference.

Mr Anwar said prospects for a ceasefire did not look encouraging, saying there was a lack of commitment from governments who could exert influence to stop the conflict.

“The only hope is to engage the United States to take a stronger stance,” he said.

Muslim-majority Malaysia is a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and has long advocated a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

05:14 AM BST

In pictures: protests across Israel

05:09 AM BST

Protesters will block major roads

As well as staging walkouts, activists are planning to block city intersections.

The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters will stage a series of protests on at least 15 different roads and bridges from 7am local time, according to the Times of Israel.

05:04 AM BST

Strike begins

Many major businesses and schools are closed this morning and protesting Israelis are refusing to go to work.

Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut, called for the general strike with the aim to disrupt major sectors of the economy, including banking, health care and the country’s main airport. It began at 6am local time.

The Histadrut’s call was also taken up by the Israel Business Forum, which represents most private-sector workers from 200 of the country’s largest companies.

Israel’s Manufacturers’ Association said it supported a strike and criticised the government for failing to bring hostages back alive, which it called a “moral duty”.

There were reports on Sunday that flights would not take off from Ben Gurion Airport as of 8am, however local newspapers now report that services will likely continue.

04:55 AM BST

In pictures: protesters arrested in Tel Aviv

04:47 AM BST

Largest demonstration yet

Tens of thousands of grieving and angry Israelis marched in the streets overnight, chanting “Now! Now!” as they demanded that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a deal with Hamas. 

The mass outpouring appeared to be the largest such demonstration in 11 months of war and protesters said it felt like a possible turning point.

An estimated 300,000 people gathered on the streets of Tel Aviv and another 200,000 took part in demonstrations in other cities.

04:45 AM BST

Good morning

Israelis began striking at 6am local time as grieving families of hostages killed in Gaza continued to express outrage at their government’s failure to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

Follow this blog for updates on Monday.