Israel mulls ceasefire plan as progress reported
Israel’s war cabinet has been briefed on talks over a ceasefire deal in Gaza, after reports of progress made in talks in Paris on Saturday.
It comes as police broke up protests in Tel Aviv calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation.
Riot police on horseback charged demonstrators as they tried to make their way to Democracy Square.
The Paris talks are part of negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and the return of hostages.
The deal would also see the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
On Saturday evening, the Israeli war cabinet was briefed on negotiations in Paris with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US.
Later, it was reported that Israel was sending a delegation to Qatar for further talks this week.
On Sunday, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said an understanding of the “basic contours” of a hostage deal and temporary ceasefire had been reached.
Anti-government demonstrations were relatively frequent in Israel before the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October – the demonstrators’ loathing for Mr Netanyahu and his hardline cabinet goes back more than a year.
But Saturday’s unrest was the first time since October that police have resorted to tougher measures.
The demonstrators have been spurred on by the war in Gaza – and the fear their government is more interested in defeating Hamas than freeing hostages.
The Justice Ministry has opened an investigation into an incident in which an officer is seen – in a widely circulated video – using the reins of his horse to strike a protester as he fell to the ground clutching his head.
The main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, criticised the police for their aggressive treatment of the demonstrators who gathered outside the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
At least 21 arrests and dozens of injuries were reported.
As well as the anti-government protest, families of the Israeli hostages gathered in the city to call for a diplomatic solution to the war and a focus on their return.
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli media reported progress had been made at talks in Paris on a hostage and ceasefire deal.
Israel’s spy chief, David Barnea, met mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US on Saturday in the French capital.
They reportedly agreed the outline of a deal to form the basis for further negotiations, which was then presented to the Israeli war cabinet on Saturday night.
Israeli media report that the war cabinet agreed to send a delegation to Qatar, where they will continue talks on a deal which would see a weeks-long truce and the release of hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
But the Israeli national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said in a televised interview on Saturday evening: “Such an agreement does not mean the end of the war.”
A senior Palestinian official with close knowledge of the talks had previously told the BBC that no real progress was made in Paris and accused negotiators of leaking inaccurate information to increase pressure on Hamas.
Hamas has also not commented on the latest reports of progress in reaching a deal.
However, Egyptian state media said on Sunday that negotiations have resumed in Doha between “experts from Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Israel.” The reports say Hamas representatives are also present there.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire have intensified following mounting international pressure amid a desperate lack of food in Gaza. International aid agencies have warned that the entire population – 2.2 million people – is experiencing food insecurity at crisis level or above.
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