Israel-Gaza: What happens over the next three days as ceasefire deal hangs in the balance
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As the Israeli cabinet stalls over approving the ceasefire deal with Hamas, World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley looks at where the deal goes from here. This is the moment when a political drama turns into a desperate horror movie. Some 94 human beings, among them children, remain held in a city under constant bombardment, hungry, terrified and literally in the dark while their lives are horse traded.
Hopes that their 15 month ordeal would finally come to an end came on Wednesday night after bold words from US and Qatari officials proclaiming a deal had been reached. Under an agreement that the US, Hamas, lead mediators Qatar, and most Israelis believed had been done and dusted, 33 hostages were due to be released from Hamas imprisonment in return for dozens of Palestinians held by Israel over the next six weeks.
It was to be the first stage of a complex ceasefire process lasting months and talk started to move to the first tranche of hostages being released as early as Sunday. The families of all those caught up in the conflict - and the rest of the world watching on - hardly dared to believe that a breakthrough might actually happen. They remained tight-lipped, refusing to celebrate until they were holding their loved ones close.
And so it proved. As the clamour from the world stage died down, Benjamin Netanyahu announced that not only had Hamas reneged on aspects of the deal, but he delayed the meeting of Israel’s security cabinet to agree the deal. Meanwhile Israeli bombs continue to churn Gaza’s rubble and Israel killed another 48 people, according to the local health authorities.
