hello, i'm rajini vaidyanathan. and welcome to tonight's special programme where we take a deeper look at this week's push for a ceasefire in gaza. us presidentjoe biden says a truce in gaza is much closer than it's ever been, but that it's not there yet. negotiators said the talks were "serious and constructive" — they'll meet again next week to try to finalise an agreement between israel and hamas. in this special programme we'll take a look at where things stand. we begin with a report from the occupied west bank, where the funeral of a 22—year—old palestinian man, who was shot dead whenjewish settlers stormed his village

thursday night has taken place. the attack took place injit in the north of the occupied west bank and was condemned by the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. our middle east correspondent lucy williamson reports. no—one knows who made rashid asidi a village hero. who shot the young it worker as he threw stones to keep armed jewish settlers at bay. but they know who to blame. translation: even the ambulance that came for him was blocked - by the army. they waited until he died. the blame is more on the army, because they are not controlling the settlers. they protect them. his mother said she didn't know if it was a settler or a soldier who fired the fatal shot. rashid's brother mahdi took me to where he was killed. the village boundary fence, broken in several places. a neighbour said dozens

of settlers gathered here last night, and that he heard a hail of gunshots. he said he called the israeli army, who took two hours to arrive. the army said they deployed within minutes. residents say the settlers were masked, armed and organised into groups. some dressed all in black, some all in white. hassan was at home with his family when they came down this road. his surveillance camera caught the moment they confronted him, setting fire to his car and entering his family compound. translation: they were all. armed with automatic weapons, light weapons, pepper spray. their attack was organised. they had a clear goal to kill or burn. here we are, unarmed. they have the government supporting them. we have nothing except ourselves. israel is under fierce international scrutiny over settler violence

in the west bank. israel's army says it has launched a thorough investigation into last night's attack. those gathered for rashid's funeral prayers had little faith injustice. the body of rashid asidi is leading a procession of anger through the village ofjit. people here trace this violence right back to the behaviour of israeli security forces and the policies of israeli politicians. a palestinian village surrounded by israeli settlements, distrustful of israeli forces, burying their anger along with their grief. lucy williamson reporting from the occupied west bank there. let's return to the situation in gaza. this week the death

toll in the war reached a grim milestone. according to gaza's hamas—run health ministry, more than 40,000 palestinians have been killed in the war so far. more than 90,000 people have been wounded. about 85% of gaza's population has been displaced from their homes. and officials estimate that death toll is likely much higher as bodies remain buried under the rubble. gaza's sanitation system has failed and famine looms as the humanitarian crisis in the enclave deepens. the un says pauses in fighting are desperately needed to allow for 600,000 children in gaza to be vaccinated against polio. the disease has re—emerged in the strip for the first time in 25 years. as the suffering in the territory continues, calls for a ceasefire continue on too. on thursday, israel and mediators began the latest round of talks to end the war. hamas did not attend the latest round of negotiations in doha, but were kept

briefed on progress. for more i spoke to yousef munayyer, head of the palestine—israel programme and senior fellow at arab center here in washington. president biden believes things are getting closer. hamas do not take part in those talks. they said they wanted to stick to an earlier framework which was set out a few months ago. what do you think is the way forward from a palestinian point of view? we will see what president biden said comes to pass. you may recall earlier this year i believe it was in february he said towards the middle of the week he expects them to be a ceasefire agreement by the following monday. that was many months ago and tens of thousands of palestinians dead ago. we will have to see the extent to which president biden is prepared to press

the israelis notjust to commit to an agreement but also commit to fulfilling that agreement and carrying it out. as you noted, hamas said they already agreed to the outline put forward by president biden which at the time it was announced by the president he said it was an israeli proposal. so, the palestinian position put forward by hamas is nothing left to negotiate here, we agreed to this now let's talk about implementation. unfortunately, the israeli leadership led by benjamin netanyahu and a host of right wing religious extremists in israel have worked to drag out, delay and prevent the implementation of a ceasefire agreement for their own reasons. from the other prospective, israel is saying hamas should just accept what is out there on the table. they don't really characterise

it as new conditions. i think that the palestinians said they accepted what has been put forward by president biden. what has been enshrined in the united nations security council resolution. numerous reports including israeli reports, reports from israeli security officials have placed the blame on benjamin netanyahu for coming up with all kinds of new obstacles and demands to ensure these kinds of talks continue to collapse. it's important to keep in mind benjamin netanyahu's very political career likely depends on the continuation of this war. it's one of the reasons why as recently as a few weeks ago they carried out an assassination of the very hamas political leader who was engaged in these negotiations. what we have been hearing as hamas are objecting to certain things in the framework currently being discussed, including

keeping israeli troops on gaza �*s border with egypt and also terms related to the release of palestinians held in israeli jails. do you think there is any wiggle room? mediators are working hard to try and get both sides, both parties in this talks to come to agreement. i think the outlines of this agreement have been over ten months now. the entire duration of this terrific war, it has been clear what it is going to take. it is about the politics, particularly on the israeli side, to ensure that when a deal was made that they could claim they have done enough damage in gaza to palestinians in gaza that accepting any sort of agreement would not be political suicide for the government.

briefly, before we have to move on, some people watching this might ask why didn't hamas sit around that table and actually debate and discuss with mediators? you might recall as i noted a few weeks ago that the person who was directly involved in these negotiations from hamas�*s end was assassinated by israelis in iran. it is not a role many people are excited to fill given that the israelis have been assassinating the people they have been negotiating with. they've made clear, the palestinians, to the mediators what their position is, they agreed to outlines put forward by president biden and in the noted stations security council resolution. the question now is whether the united states can actually get the israelis to commit to what was supposed to be their own proposal. for more on the israeli perspective i spoke to david daoud, a seniorfellow

at the foundation for defence of democracies. first of all we heard there from president biden who was fairly optimistic that those so—called gaps can be narrowed. are you as optimistic? so-called gaps can be narrowed. are you as optimistic?— are you as optimistic? thank ou for are you as optimistic? thank you for having _ are you as optimistic? thank you for having me _ are you as optimistic? thank you for having me on. - are you as optimistic? thank you for having me on. i'm . you for having me on. i'm really that optimistic and i think there are already reports of some snags. hamas has publicly criticised the offers on the table, now american officials have said not to take that face value. at the same time there are unbridgeable gaps in the positions between the israelis and the mass we have seen in the past was not we're talking about the identity of the hostages to be released in exchange for what palestinian security prisoners are going to be released. the number of hostages to be released and, you know, what phases they are to be released, how many are going to be living versus, you know, not still alive. this has been a snack that has been in the past. i wouldn't see that this would necessarily change. there is

also the issue that israel's objectives in gaza to dismantle hamas militarily and as a governmental structure has not necessarily change. this is usually something a mass cannot live with. they are not going to agree to surrender and where we have seen progress there have been israeli reports that there has been progress on certain issues, but it has really been between israel and the many years than israel and hamas. there are perhaps signals for optimism but their equal signals caution against this kind of optimism that president biden is presenting in his speech.— president biden is presenting in his speech. david, who was s-ueakin in his speech. david, who was speaking to — in his speech. david, who was speaking to a _ in his speech. david, who was speaking to a commentator. speaking to a commentator earlier who suggested that one of the challenges is that president biden�*s clock is ticking in terms of the time he has left on his presidency, so he is going as a greater pace than perhaps israel or hamas want to go out for various different reasons on either side. . �* , different reasons on either side. . h, side. that's perhaps true. president _ side. that's perhaps true. president biden _ side. that's perhaps true. president biden has - side. that's perhaps true. l president biden has handed side. that's perhaps true. - president biden has handed over the torch for the 2024 election

to his current vice president, kamala harris, and he might want to give her a clean start —— slay to start with when she is competing with former president trump in the general election. he might want to wrap up election. he might want to wrap up this gaza issue that is putting a strain on the coalition he built out of the 2020 election. so it very much could be so, where as israel's consideration, security, whether a deal with a mass could guarantee notjust a return to an 6 october situation, but real security, real permanent ceasefire in the genuine sense of the term, these things could be working across ends or, as you said, the timeline might not be overlapping. a mass also has its own considerations. it wants to survive, it wants to rebuild as its leadership has stated over the course of this now io—month war and they plan to continue attacking the israelis in the future. so we have three different positions

here, three different interests and is going to probably take a bit more effort to get them to overlap. bit more effort to get them to overla -. _, bit more effort to get them to overla -. ,, ., ~ bit more effort to get them to overla. ., ~ ., overlap. david, you talk about three different _ overlap. david, you talk about three different interests, - overlap. david, you talk about three different interests, and | three different interests, and there is something else in the background here which is, of course, the region on high alert for some kind of retaliation from iran. it is not just _ retaliation from iran. it is not just tehran. - retaliation from iran. it is not just tehran. it - retaliation from iran. it is not just tehran. it is - retaliation from iran. it is not just tehran. it is the l notjust tehran. it is the broader and primarily hezbollah, in some ways the negotiations are, if you looked at this from this perspective, not just at this from this perspective, notjust between israel and not just between israel and hamas, notjust between israel and hamas, but the broader resistance access, the iranian alliance and the israelis, hezbollah, for example, as set as its objective from the outset that it preconditioned to it ceasing its attacks that it initiated against israel on october aid that there is a 0ctober aid that there is a ceasefire in gaza. 0nce 0ctober aid that there is a ceasefire in gaza. once that happens the secretary general said 3 november, on his first speech, after the onset of the

current war and injuly he again reiterated is that once there is a ceasefire in gaza hezbollah will cease its attacks. now, matters have become complicated over the past few weeks, but the strike that happened from hezbollah they killed 12 israeli children, the israeli chemistry, and the assassination, this puts in position where the resistance axis, which i don't think wants axis, which i don't think wants a war with israel now, they are not in the stage where they can launch this promise regional war that would degrade israel out of existence, this is still a long—term project, they would rather avoid a full confrontation now, but these two assassinations and the public need to put them in a position where they have to strike at the israelis in a pretty painful bastion and that could put the region on a path to conflict. now, the ceasefire negotiations, their prior commitment to ceasing by themselves if there is a ceasefire in gaza could give them an offer. they could say, look, we forced the israelis

through these support fronts, as they have been calling them, to stop their attack on gaza, we have one, we have really started to see this from iraqi sheer militias that are allied with iran and that could be sufficient to save face and obviate the need for the responses for the hezbollah military commander that was killed in beirut by the israelis or for the one assassinated in tehran. david valudor. all week there's been a huge diplomatic push to lead the talks to a successful conclusion. earlier, our state department correspondent tom bateman told me the latest on where the negotiations stand. there has been a lot of feverish american diplomacy to try to get some sort of agreement. we are not there yet. but what are diplomats and officials saying to you? i think it is really interesting that, from president biden downwards, we are hearing incredibly positive tone around the way the last two days discussions in doha have gone. president biden saying we are closer than ever

to a ceasefire deal. i was hearing from one senior administration official that said there was new spirit to drive this to a conclusion. 0n the other hand from the palestinian side, we had much more positive messages about how this has gone. they believe the israelis have moved. —— they believe the israelis haven't moved. a statement from the office of benjamin netanyahu saying this was about hamas's refusal to take the proposal on the table. and that's what the talk is about. the parties themselves are not reflecting the positive message we are hearing from the americans. there is a couple of things going on. what the us is doing and has been doing for a few weeks is trying to apply as much pressure as possible to say this is the last chance saloon. if you don't take it now we will not keep going with this. so stop, as one official put it, trying to draw more blood from the stone. this is the best it will get.

for both sides. really they mean for both sides. it is time to take the deal and also that means doesn't further risk the lives of hostages held in captivity by hamas to keep drawing this out and crucially for the huge numbers of palestinians killed by israelis, israel's military offensive in gaza, it would bring that to a close finally. the stakes are that high and i think the americans, by using this tone, are trying to apply pressure but they are not there yet. we're talking about another week of technical discussions around what they say is implementation of the deal but frankly that is still hammering out details and more talks and the american say it would be final round of talks in cairo next week. a lot of positive messaging. i think there is progress. whether we see a deal signed next week still feels unlikely but never say never. and we now know that's a crusade antony blinken is heading to the region. there is

talk he would go early in the week. that was postponed. he has been to the region on a number of occasions since 7 october. what exactly does he 0ctober. what exactly does he think he can do by being there in person?— in person? yeah, this is his ninth visit. _ in person? yeah, this is his ninth visit. they _ in person? yeah, this is his ninth visit. they have - in person? yeah, this is his ninth visit. they have been| in person? yeah, this is his. ninth visit. they have been on quite a few with him in previous months. his role is not to sit in the room and go through the details of the negotiation, it is to apply diplomatic and political pressure. it is interesting he is going to israel first because, obviously, they still feel they have to apply pressure on nijman netanyahu to stay engaged with this process undertaken. remember, there has been a lot of internal criticism in israel israel not least from the hostage families who believe mr netanyahu has a vested interest in just stringing things out for his own political survival, for one, and therefore i think what we have seen in the past with mr blinken as he is sort of bumping into protests of hostage families and trying to very visibly show that this is

what for israelis is at stake and remember that and get that into the consciousness and try to message that to benjamin netanyahu, though applying neta nyahu, though applying pressure netanyahu, though applying pressure to the israelis. there is no announced, yet, visit to capitol cities of arab and gulf countries, all the way think that will probably happen. he might go to doha, he might go to caira, let's see about that. that is all again to keep up the pressure, that is more indirect in that case, because you were talking about the qataris and others and they want to keep the messages going to hamas that now is time to take the deal and keep the pressure up. sol take the deal and keep the pressure up. so i think that is very much the purpose of this visit. but as we've seen in other visits by mr blinken, much of this happens really behind closed doors and it can behind closed doors and it can be hard really to get a sort of firm sense of whether it is helping push through the deal, you know there are so many reasons for both sides not to do a deal as well, we have to keep that in mind, and i think that's why this whole thing remains in the balance. tom

bateman _ remains in the balance. tom bateman there. _ earlier, i heard insights from two officials who've worked on diplomacy in the middle east, kirsten fontenrose, former director of the gulf for the us national security council, and former iranian ambassador to germany, seyed hossein mousavian. the interesting thing is the gaps are fairly narrow, it is simply the stated problem that everyone in the international community want a ceasefire and yet the two parties involved do not. the gaps on things like whether or not the israeli military should stay south of rafah and whether or not hamas will have a political world moving forward, those are clear redlines for both parties. they sit at this table but neither are interested in making sincere ceasefire and neither are interested in conceding any positions. the international community continues to press them. it is difficult when two parties involved are the two least supportive of the idea of a ceasefire. let me turn to you and asked

the same question. actually i am not really optimistic because i believe netanyahu wants to buy time until after the us election. he hopes if trumpet with that can push forward his agenda. he is facing icg ruling about genocide. he is facing possible international isolation and unprecedented pressure from the global public opinion. that is why i believe he is trying to drag the us in a regional war with iran. and recently he wants to prolong negotiation, preventing from a military attack been launched on the assassination of ismail haniyeh in tehran.

the reality is what they are discussing is based on what president biden proposed in may. it is about withdrawal from israeli forces from all populated areas of gaza. major reconstruction. and a ceasefire. just a day after biden proposed israel is not going to accept a ceasefire until the war aims are achieved. practically has been she achieved until now. there other tangible little has been, the us continued shipping

out billions od dollars of weapons in the last few days. $20 billion worth of weapons. one of the largest military packages is the beginning of the war and more palestinians killed and displaced, injured. those the only tangible result. let me bring kirsten in on that point. making the point others have highlighted which is the fact that america is still selling arms to israel. america still selling arms to israel because is still fighting an unrelenting terrorist threat. until that is no longer the case, until hamas don't attack israel on a whim. then america will very likely continue to arm israel. it is a bipartisanship support among the us electorate. in an election year so the timing is difficult to break away from any sort

of support for the israelis right to defend itself against this unrelenting threat. terrorism does not deserve favours from the us government. some people would say to that point that according to the health ministry in gaza, 40,000 people have been killed in that conflict. more needs to be done to help them. no question there. all the numbers from the gaza health ministry are not taken at their word because this is a portion of the, hamas—run government. no denying more needs to be done for palestinians inside gaza that are not a part of this war themselves. at some point you have to ask those palestinians who is responsible for getting them into this war. at this point all blame laid at the feet of israel and not enough questions have been asked of hamas about their intent to instate. the early patient who benefited more from ismail haniyeh's assassination is perhaps

benjamin netanyahu and yahya sinwar. there is concern that could escalate more widely. what do you think of calculations when it comes to iran at the moment and whether they will strike? i think iranians want to have a significant response, enough to be seen as a deterrent in order to prevent israel from future invasions of iranian territory. 0ver court iran does not want to engage in a war with the us and does not want to have a response... seyed hossein mousavian ending the discussion there. plenty more on the bbc news website. we discussed and from our

correspondence in the middle east. this is bbc news. do stay with us. —— more discussions from. hello there. we're into fine settled spell of weather now, just in time for the weekend, and we should see a lot of sunshine on both saturday and sunday, especially across england and wales. winds light in the south, always a bit fresher further north. that's because scotland is closer to this area of low pressure over iceland, but the azores high, bringing plenty of sunshine and lighter winds to england and wales. but it will be quite a cool start to saturday morning. cool and fresh, with temperatures in single digits out of towns and cities. but there'll be plenty of sunshine to begin the day, cloud tending to bubble up into the afternoon, and that will bring a few showers to northern and western scotland and northern ireland through the day, where it'll stay quite breezy but light winds further south. temperatures here 24—25 degrees. mid to high teens across the north, maybe 20 degrees across northeast scotland. now the showers tend to fade away across most of the north, the odd one continuing across the highlands through saturday night. lengthy clear skies again,

light winds to the south. so it's going to be another fresh night to come with seven to 12 degrees for sunday. the azores, high across the south, just nudges up a little bit further northwards. so large parts of england and wales, maybe northern ireland, southern scotland will see lighter winds, but still quite breezy across the north and west of scotland, where again we'll have a few showers and a few showers, perhaps for northern ireland, maybe just one or two across western england and wales, but similar sorts of temperatures, mid 20s in the south and mid to high teens further north. now as we head out to sunday to monday, our area of high pressure begins to get squeezed out in towards the near continent as low pressure takes over across western areas, it goes downhill through the day across the north and the west. wetter and windier but central and eastern parts of the country will stay dry. plenty of sunshine and light winds, too. further north and west it will be turning blustery with that rain, so temperatures here high teens at best, quite warm and turning increasingly humid across the southeast 25, maybe 26 degrees. tuesday looks more unsettled generally across the country. could even see a few showers in the southeast. it'll be a breezier day to come, but the heaviest of the rain will tend

to be across the north and west of scotland. temperatures here again mid to high teens up to around 20 to 24 in the south. further areas of low pressure will cross the country, bringing wet and windy spells to the north and west, but it should tend to stay largely dry, quite warm, humid and breezy across the southeast.

voice-over: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. juliette binoche is one of the most acclaimed actors of her generation — a bafta and academy award winner. she's known for playing complex characters on stage and screen. from three colours: blue and les amants du pont—neuf to chocolat and the english patient, across a 40—year career, her roles have been incredibly varied. she brings an intelligence and emotional intensity to many of her big screen characters. "the heart

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