hello. welcome to verified live, three hours of breaking stories and checking out the truth behind them. the armed wing of hamas says that the youngest israeli hostage in gaza, ten—month—old baby kfir bibas, as well as his brother ariel and mother shiri, were killed in an air strike on the gaza strip. the bbc is checking the claim, which it does not been able to verify. the group are among the highest profile civilian hostages yet to be freed. a special appeal had been issued for their freedom after they were not in their freedom after they were not in the group freed on tuesday. in a statement, the idf said hamas is wholly responsible for the security of all hostages in the gaza strip. hamas must be held accountable. hamas�* actions continue to endanger the hostages, which include nine children. they must immediately release our hostages. the bbc�*s diplomatic correspondent paul adams gave us an update. ten—month—old kfir, nine months old when he was snatched and now ten months old, has become in some ways, particularly in the last few days, the face of the missing hostages. hopes had been really high that in this current phase of the exchange of hostages for palestinian prisoners, that the bibas family, kfir, his brother bibas, would be released. hamas have issued a statement saying three members of the family had died as a result of an israeli air strike. they did not give any further details. we have heard that the israeli defence forces have been in touch with the bibas family to inform them of this claim, and it is only a claim at this stage, and so this is going to cause enormous anxiety, because we are reaching the point at which all of the children, and there are still about eight or so children who have not been released, we are going to reach the point where all of the children will have been released as a result of this process that has now been going on for, this will be the sixth day, and if the bibas family are not on that list, and if this claim from hamas is confirmed, this claim from hamas is confirmed, this will be a devastating blow to the families, theirfriends, and frankly the country as a whole. we had heard reports from israel saying that hamas had handed the family, at least the mother and two micro children over to a separate group. we heard that yesterday. there have been many claims of this kind that have circulated throughout the last several weeks. the response from israel has usually been to say that they either cannot confirm it or to remind the audience that this is an organisation proscribed as a terrorist organisation, an organisation that carried out the dreadful massacres in october the 7th, so there has been not much desire to put any credence behind any specific statement surrounding the fate of any of the hostages. in fact, there was one claim earlier that a hostage had been killed, which turned out not to be true. there will still be people hoping, praying, that the same applies to the bibas family. as i say, it is only a claim from hamas at the moment. we don't know which group was holding the family. there are supposed to be a number of hostages still being held by palestinian islamic microjihad and other groups described as criminal groups in the gaza strip. it is thought hamas have been trying to account for everyone, in some places to make sure people were returned under its jurisdiction, if i can use that term, but as to where and how the bibas family... whether this claim is true, and where any of these events occurred, we simply do not know at this stage. paul adams reporting there. let's speak now to our security correspondent frank gardner. we are hearing a lot of positive noises about the possible extension of this truce, which is meant to run out at the end of today. how are the talks going, do you know? so, that is depressing news for israel. the talks have been going pretty well, because both israel and hamas would like to see a temporary extension of the truce, because there are more hostages to come out. more than half those hostages seized on october the 7th are still in captivity in gaza. the problem is that hamas, which spearheaded those grisly raids on october the 7th, don't necessarily, or didn't have a handle on where they are being held, and as paul adams mentioned there, there is more than one militant group in gaza. there is palestinian islamichhad and others. so, hamas, which is doing the negotiation for gaza, as it were, for its part of the equation, is having to try and locate those hostages and get them under its wing so it can offer them up under its wing so it can offer them up to israel and say, look, here are ten more hostages. we would like another day of extension of the truce. there are growing voices in the israeli security and military establishment that are growing uneasy that every day this truce lasts, it will be harderfor them uneasy that every day this truce lasts, it will be harder for them to resume theirfight lasts, it will be harder for them to resume their fight against hamas to try and crush its military capability. but certainly, everyone in the region outside of israel wants not only the truce to extend, but for it to turn into a permanent ceasefire, and there are even indications the us is starting to think that way too. yes, we saw this tweet from president biden saying continuing down the path of violence and war would be giving hamas what they seek. it does suggest a change of tone. do you think the pressure is getting to joe tone. do you think the pressure is getting tojoe biden? i tone. do you think the pressure is getting to joe biden?— getting to joe biden? i think it is, es. he is getting to joe biden? i think it is, yes. he is under— getting to joe biden? i think it is, yes. he is under pressure - getting to joe biden? i think it is, yes. he is under pressure from i getting to joe biden? i think it is, i yes. he is under pressure from two angles. one, from within his own party. the democratic party is very unhappy at the massive casualties inflicted on ordinary palestinian civilians. the figures of 13,000 plus people killed, 6000 children killed, coming from the hamas run health ministry but largely supported by independent aid agencies, those i really intolerably high figures for this campaign, and he is under a bit of pressure domestically but also internationally from america's allies in the region, from qatar, which hosts a massive us base, from saudi arabia, egypt and jordan. these are all friends of the us in the region, and they are all telling washington, you have got to do more to restrain israel's actions in the gaza strip, and some countries, saudi arabia and others, have said the un security council permanent members are not doing theirjob, because they were very quick to criticise russia for killing civilians in ukraine but have not been very effective in restraining israel. that is their view. so, yes, a lot of people seized and that tweet and said, this looks like america is going 180 and that, having said it supported israel's opposition to a ceasefire 100%. it now seems to be wavering. it seems ambiguous, because us officials have now been backtracking, saying, no, the us is totally supportive of israel, but behind the scenes, we know there is displeasure being expressed about the level of civilian casualties. not only until the truce to cold, but what is going to happen next, because israel has made it clear that once they hostage releases are over, they are going to carry on with their assault, intensify it, and move to the south of the gaza strip. there, 1.7 million displaced gazans are currently crowded. how is israel going to protect those if it is carrying out a full—scale military campaign against hamas there? it carrying out a full-scale military campaign against hamas there? it was israel who told _ campaign against hamas there? it was israel who told them _ campaign against hamas there? it was israel who told them to _ campaign against hamas there? it was israel who told them to go _ campaign against hamas there? it was israel who told them to go there, wasn't it? what about what is going on in the west bank at the moment? how concerning is that? it is concerning. the violence has been rising there for some time, predating october the 7th. in fact, it was rising incidence of clashes between israeli settlers and palestinian residents, villagers who have lived there all their lives, and in some cases clashes between palestinians and the idf, israel defence forces. because of that rising violence, the israeli security establishment thought on october the 6th, if they had to worry about anywhere, it was the west bank. gaza, well, we have got this, we have $1 billion wall and we are safe. we don't have to worry about that. will not risk a war with us. well, of course, they got that catastrophically wrong, but all the stuff that has been going on in gaza, and it is horrific what has been going on there, and what happened in october the 7th, the barbaric attacks against civilians in southern israel, that has all taken the spotlight off what is going on in the west bank. there are a number of incidents of israeli settlers attacking palestinians and essentially trying to push them out of what they considerjudaea and samaria and what the rest of the world considers the west bank and the future palestinian state, and in some cases, there are reports that the idf, israel present a defence forces, are simply standing back and not protecting those palestinian villages. at the same time, they have been carrying out raids into palestinian areas, such as janine, ——jenin, the refugee camp there, and the idf have gone in looking for perpetrators of violent incidents. what is the depressing thing about this is, as prisoners are released in exchange hostages, more and more palestinian prisoners are simply going to be put into israeli jails, no one is paying attention to the big, long—term problem and challenge, which is to find a solution to israelis and palestinians to live side by side, whether it is a two state solution or in some form. they both have a right to live there, but under the current leadership, with hamas vowing to destroy israel and israel vowing to destroy israel and israel vowing to destroy israel and israel vowing to crush hamas, it's very hard to see how there is a way forward at the moment. thank you, frank gardner. let's go to bahrain and bring in a research fellow at the international institute of strategic studies. thanks forjoining us. can we talk about the additions to the truce which is due to finish today, wednesday, in terms of what the key players are looking for? what is the motivation behind the key players? there are conflicting reports of the moment about the parameters of the potential extension of the truce. it is not entirely certain for how long the different players want to extend the different players want to extend the truce for. there are reports hamas would be willing to extend and forfour hamas would be willing to extend and for four days, hamas would be willing to extend and forfour days, and hamas would be willing to extend and for four days, and the hamas would be willing to extend and forfour days, and the numbers of captives and prisoners on both sides, what they would be. i think all sides need this extension. it is all sides need this extension. it is a government under domestic pressure to show a concrete result for its strategic result, and strategic dividend for its military operations so far, and to show it is serious about pursuing the objective of leveraging its captains that are held in hamas' custody. hamas has been using the pressure tactic of linking israeli air strikes with deaths of israeli captors held in gaza and to say that those air strikes have been responsible for the deaths of those israeli captives, and that obviously places the netanyahu government under even greater pressure domestically, and poses difficult choices about what the resumption of military operations would entail. at the same time, hamas obviously want a respite from the airand time, hamas obviously want a respite from the air and ground attacks. it is also politically important for hamas to show that it is able to secure the release of palestinian prisoners and detainees from israeli prisons. there are currently thousands of palestinian prisoners and detainees, including a few hundred children, many of whom are held without charge or trial for extended periods of time. the various parties here or have domestic interests, essentially, in seeking an extension of this policy. what did you make of what we were just talking about there with our correspondent frank gardner about america seeming to shift in tone slightly? how much of an influence do you think that is having? i slightly? how much of an influence do you think that is having?- do you think that is having? i think it is significant. _ do you think that is having? i think it is significant. the _ do you think that is having? i think it is significant. the us _ do you think that is having? i think it is significant. the us is - do you think that is having? i think it is significant. the us is the - it is significant. the us is the main party which has leveraging of israel, which is able to influence israel's strategic and military calculations. no one else has the ability to do that the same way the us does, and in reality, the civilian casualty toll of israel's military operations has been extremely significant, over15,000 extremely significant, over 15,000 dead, extremely significant, over15,000 dead, including 6000 children, and the number of children that have been killed alone by israeli operations far exceeds what we have seenin operations far exceeds what we have seen in previous years. you do wonder what is going to happen if, as we were talking about, after this truce and is in the operation moves southward in gaza, you wonder how much worse things will get, because so many people are there, aren't they? they have fled there, aren't they? they have fled the north, as they were told to by israel, and are now in the south. that's exactly right. the population of 2 million is now concentrated in more or less 50%, roughly speaking, of gaza's territory. they fled there and it is really reassurances that this would be a safe zone. israel is now claiming that hamas' leadership has shifted southwards, and i think there is concern not only among international countries but also in the us that a shift in military operations southwards would result in a massive civilian casualties at all. i think the issue here is that israel's military operations haven't really resulted in much progress towards israel's stated objectives. hamas's leadership appears to be intact, hamas appears to be in control, it is able to negotiate exchanges and releases of captives and prisoners, so it is a massive toll, and exchange, and as a price for a military campaign that hasn't achieved much.— for a military campaign that hasn't achieved much. whether those goals are achievable _ achieved much. whether those goals are achievable in _ achieved much. whether those goals are achievable in themselves - achieved much. whether those goals| are achievable in themselves because its goal is to wipe out hamas, isn't its goal is to wipe out hamas, isn't it and the question is whether that is even possible, i suppose. exactly, and if it is possible within parameters, in terms of civilian casualties, that would be acceptable to anyone, really. it is highly questionable, and that is what we have been saying at the start, without a political horizon, there really is no way to ensure that hamas, which exists in order to resist this occupation, as it brands itself to be, there would be no way of inflicting a military or political defeat on hamas. i think we also have to pay close attention to what is going on in the west bank, because the level of violence there has been quite significant. over 230 people killed since october the 7th. we are now seeing that israel is exploiting the lull in fighting in gaza to ramp up operations injenin. the number of people being arrested there is absolutely massive, and the civilian casualty toll in jenin absolutely massive, and the civilian casualty toll injenin over absolutely massive, and the civilian casualty toll in jenin over the absolutely massive, and the civilian casualty toll injenin over the past 48 hours has also been significant, including children that seem to have been killed by israeli snipers, and so this is a very dynamic context. we need to pay close attention to all these things, not only in gaza, but what is going on in the west bank at the moment.— but what is going on in the west bank at the moment. thank you very much for talking _ bank at the moment. thank you very much for talking to _ bank at the moment. thank you very much for talking to us. _ much for talking to us. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. an inquest has heard four teenagers drowned after their car overturned on a camping trip in north wales. jevon hirst, harvey owen, wilf fitchett and hugo morris were found in an overturned, partially submerged car in gwynedd on the 21st of november. a search was launched after the teenagers from shrewsbury failed to return home. new data suggests the rising cost of renting and a fall in available properties is causing families to move to smaller homes. campaigners are warning that the state of the market is also leaving older renters struggling with short—term tenancies in their retirement. courts in england and wales could soon be sentencing fewer people to shorterjail terms and instead handing out more rehabilitative community sentences. new proposals from the sentencing councilfor the two home nations says judges and magistrates should be focusing more on reforming offenders. the plans also include advice to courts to think twice before jailing women because of the impact on children. your life with bbc news. 160 israeli hostages are still being held in gaza, but they are reported not to be being held by hamas but by other islamic groups. what do we know about them? i'm joined now by jerome drevon, senior analyst injihad and modern conflict, crisis group. asi as i mentioned, there are several of these groups. can you talk as to who they are? yes, according to the available information, we think a few groups have participated in the attacks on over the seven. first, have participated in the attacks on overthe seven. first, hamas, have participated in the attacks on over the seven. first, hamas, which is by far the largest group and holds most hostages. then there are smaller entities. the main one is palestinian islamicjihad, which is aligned with hamas and says similar strategic objectives but differs in terms of means. they don't believe in politically participation or government, just military participation. then there are local leftist groups, who are not by far is important as palestinian islamic jihad and hamas. so are they all coordinated somehow? does hamas coordinate things? we had heard about how some hostages may have been sold on or passed on to these groups, and in terms of the negotiations, are people like the people in qatar negotiating with hamas, and then hamas talks to these other groups? or our people in qatar talking directly to these groups? how does that work, do you know? it is very much a hamas led operation. hamas sorted out all the details and tactical plans, then asked other groups tojoin them tactical plans, then asked other groups to join them a few hours before the beginning of the operation, so while other groups have also seen stages, hamas is directing other political negotiations through its leadership in qatar. some of the groups are in agreement with h