Morning news brief: Israel faces flak over mistakenly killing hostages, Pannun murder plot, & more

WION is closely monitoring updates on the Israel-Hamas war in our live blog. As of the latest information available at the time of writing this, Israel is drawing criticism after its defence forces mistook hostages for militants and killed them. For real-time updates, follow the live blog. Amid the ongoing Pannun murder plot case, a US religious freedom watchdog called on the Biden administration to designate India as a 'country of particular concern' due to alleged targeting of religious minorities abroad.

In other news, Donald Trump reiterated his strict immigration stance, stating that undocumented immigrants were "poisoning the blood of our country." This controversial rhetoric resurfaced during a New Hampshire rally.

Israel-Hamas war LIVE: Israel faces flak over mistakenly killing hostages

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Israel is continuing its offensive against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip. On Saturday (Dec 16), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep up the military pressure on Hamas, adding his country would fight until complete victory.

Pannun murder plot: US watchdog tells Biden to designate India as 'country of particular concern'

A religious freedom watchdog in the United States on Friday (Dec 15) called on the Joe Biden administration to designate India as a 'country of particular concern' under the US Religious Freedom Act, citing its alleged targeting of religious minorities overseas. In a statement, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said that recent efforts by New Delhi to silence activists, journalists, and lawyers abroad posed a serious threat to religious freedom.

Trump renews hard-line stance on immigration, claims migrants 'poisoning blood' of America

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump doubled down on his stringent immigration stance, declaring that undocumented immigrants were "poisoning the blood of our country." The rhetoric, previously criticised as xenophobic, resurfaced as Trump addressed a crowd of thousands in a fiery rally in Durham, in US state of New Hampshire on Saturday (Dec 16).

After delay, SpaceX locks launch date for US military's X-37B secret plane

SpaceX has scheduled the launch date for the secret United States military's X-37B robotic space plane on its seventh orbital mission. The launch is set for December 28, as announced by SpaceX on Friday (Dec 15). The Falcon Heavy rocket will carry the X-37B, designated USSF-52, from Florida. The initial launch plan on a Sunday (Dec 17) was canceled due to adverse weather conditions at Cape Canaveral.

Watch |Israel-Hamas war: Hundreds protest after IDF kills three hostages by mistake