Hamas claims three hostages died, including US citizen, in Israel raid that killed more than 200 Palestinians – as it happened

It is approaching 7pm in Gaza and Tel Aviv and we are closing the Israel-Gaza war live blog. Here is a recap of the key events from today:

• At least 274 Palestinians were killed in a Israeli hostage rescue raid yesterday, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry also said about 700 people were wounded in the operation that was centred on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

• The operation resulted in the rescue of four Israeli hostages who had been held captive since Hamas’ 7 October attack on Israel. Israel celebrated the release of Noa Argamani, 26; Almog Meir Jan, 22; Andrey Kozlov, 27; and Shlomi Ziv, 41. Israel has now rescued a total of seven hostages since the outbreak of the war, with over 100 thought to remain in Gaza.

• Hamas has asserted that three hostages were killed in the Israeli rescue operation yesterday, including a US citizen. No evidence was provided and the Guardian could not independently verify the claims. Hamas has released a video showing three unidentifiable corpses with censor bars over their faces, and warned that conditions would worsen for the remaining captives after the attack.

• The EU’s foreign minister, Josep Borrell condemned the “massacre” of Palestinian civilians, saying the “bloodbath” resulting from Israel’s rescue mission must end immediately. The UN’s aid chief Martin Griffiths called for a ceasefire and for all Israeli hostages to be released as he described in graphic detail scenes of “shredded bodies on the ground” after the operation.

• Israel continued to attack central Gaza today. Reuters reported that separate Israeli airstrikes on houses in the city of Deir Al-Balah and in nearby Al-Bureij killed three Palestinians in each location earlier today, while tanks shelled parts of nearby Al-Maghazi and Al-Nuseirat.

• Israeli tanks also advanced into two new districts of the southern city of Rafah. It appears to be an apparent effort to complete the encirclement of the entire eastern side of the city.

• Yemen’s Houthis said they targeted two commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea with missiles. The militant group also claimed to have hit British destroyer HMS Diamond, but the British MoD denied these claims.

• Aid has been delivered into Gaza from a newly repaired American-built pier after it suffered storm damage. In a post on X, US Central Command confirmed aid was delivered in Gaza via the pier yesterday morning.

That’s it from me, Donna Ferguson. Thanks for following along. If you want to continue following news on the war, go to Israel-Gaza war.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has told Reuters it received a report of an incident 89 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s port city of Aden, adding that authorities are investigating.

Earlier, Yemen’s Houthi group said it had fired ballistic missiles at a British destroyer, HMS Diamond, in the Red Sea. Reuters reported that the British Ministry of Defence said the assertions were false, at the time (see earlier blog post, 2.14pm)

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address his war cabinet on Sunday at 6.30pm, which will be followed by a meeting with the political security cabinet at 8.30pm at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The Hamas assertion that some hostages have died as result of the operation has been rejected as “a blatant lie” by the Israeli military.

In a video posted on its Telegram channel, Hamas displayed what appeared to be three unidentifiable corpses. The video showed censor bars over their faces, Reuters reports.

“Your captives will not be released unless our prisoners are freed,” the video added.

The US National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, a senior aide to President Biden, has appeared in a CNN interview criticising Hamas for the deaths of Palestinian civilians in yesterday’s hostage operation by Israel.

He said Hamas “is operating in a way” that puts Palestinian people “in the crossfire”.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has at 274 Palestinians were killed and 698 were injured, including women and children.

“The Palestinian people are going through sheer hell in this conflict because Hamas is operating in a way that puts them in the crossfire that holds hostages right in the heart of crowded civilian areas, that puts military emplacements right in the heart of crowded civilian areas,” Sullivan reportedly said in the interview.

He then called on the international community to demand that Hamas accept the terms of the ceasefire deal, according to The Times of Israel.

Reuters reports that Hamas’ armed al-Qassam Brigades have said that three hostages were killed in Israel’s hostage rescue operation yesterday that also resulted in four Israeli hostages being rescued. No evidence was provided and the Guardian could not independently verify the claims.

In a video posted on its Telegram channel on Sunday, Hamas said three hostages were killed, including a US citizen, in the Israeli military operation.

Earlier today Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida also said hostages were killed during the operation, without providing any evidence, and warned that conditions would worsen for remaining captives following the attack.

“The operation will pose a great danger (for) the enemy’s prisoners and will have a negative impact on their conditions,” spokesman Abu Obaida wrote on Telegram, according to AFP.

A doctor said the Israeli hostages rescued from Hamas captivity in Gaza yesterday were suffering from “severe nutritional deficiency”.

“The nutritional status of the captives that have come back, all of them are in severe nutritional deficiency with significantly decreased muscle mass and interruptions to their metabolic status,” Dr Itai Pessach said at Sheba medical centre in Ramat Gen, Israel.

The hostages, Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41 have been undergoing medical checks and psychological treatment at the hospital.

The hostages, who were kidnapped from Nova music festival by Hamas gunmen on 7October last year, were reunited with their families yesterday after a military operation to rescue them from Gaza’s Nuseirat, where they were held in two separate apartment blocks.

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Our video team has put together a report on the aftermath of Israel’s hostage rescue operation yesterday and its continued attacks on central Gaza.

2:39

Reuters reports that separate Israeli airstrikes on houses in the city of Deir Al-Balah and in nearby Al-Bureij killed three Palestinians in each location earlier today.

Israel has continued to attack central Gaza and the southern city of Rafah following yesterday’s hostage rescue operation centred on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Israel’s foreign minister has lashed out at criticism of the operation in Gaza yesterday that resulted in the rescue of four Israeli hostages and the deaths of at least 274 Palestinians.

In a post on X, Israel Katz said: “The world admired the courage, determination, and capabilities of Israel’s operation to free the hostages.

“Many sent messages of support, but only Israel’s enemies complained about the casualties of Hamas terrorists and their accomplices, accusing Israel of war crimes.

“We wholeheartedly reject these accusations. We will continue to act with determination and strength, in accordance with our right to self-defense, until all of the hostages are freed and Hamas is defeated.”

Yemen’s Houthi group said it had fired ballistic missiles at a British destroyer, HMS Diamond, in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said in a statement the strike was “accurate” but did not say whether it had caused any damage. The British MoD has said the Houthis assertions are false, according to Reuters.

The Houthis also said they had attacked two commercial vessels which they identified as the Norderney and Tavvishi. The statement said the Tavvishi – which was in the Arabian Sea – and the Norderney had both been hit, and that a fire broke out on the Norderney.