Families of those held captive by Hamas in Gaza protested outside of Minister Benny Gantz's home in Rosh Ha'ayin Friday morning, Israeli media reported.Families of hostages, including the families of Haim Peri, Oded Lifshitz, Idan Shatvi, Yoram Metzger, and Ofer Calderon, were present, calling for Gantz and the war cabinet to save the lives of the abductees by any means, "even if it means stopping the fighting. The lives of our relatives are in daily danger, and the Israeli government has the commitment and ability to save them, before it is too late and there is no one left to save," they stated.

The White House spokesman for national security affairs, John Kirby, dismissed criticism directed at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) on Friday morning, alleging their cooperation with Hamas.Kirby said that the agency is "doing important work and that it cannot be blamed for Hamas using civilian infrastructure for combat purposes."UNRWA employees were accused of keeping Israeli hostages in their homes, celebrating mass murders on October 7 and beyond, and of having staff involved in the October 7 attacks.

EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will be in Lebanon from January 5 to January 7 to discuss the situation at the Israeli-Lebanese border and the importance of avoiding regional escalation, the EU said in a statement on Friday."[Borrell] will re-emphasise the need to advance diplomatic efforts with regional leaders", the statement said.