we are as close as possible comparing to any point before to reaching a ceasefire. we'll have the latest from our correspondents in jerusalem and washington. and also on the programme this lunchtime... the princess of wales pays a surprise visit to the royal marsden hospital, london, where she's now revealed she received treatment for her cancer. she's been thanking the staff who looked after her there. from today, everyone over the age of 50 in england will be sent a testing kit for bowel cancer, as the nhs expands its screening programme. and a warning that drones which deliver drugs and weapons into english prisons have now become a threat to national security. and coming up on bbc news: england wasted a golden opportunity to level the women's ashes, as they failed to chase 181, for victory in a nail—biting finish in melbourne.

good afternoon. after more than a year of bloodshed, there are growing hopes that the war in gaza could finally be coming to an end. negotiatons in qatar between israel and hamas are said to be in theirfinal stages. a spokesman says an agreement is now "closer than it's been for months". the possible deal is thought to include the initial release of 33 hostages, including women, children, the wounded and the sick. in return, it's expected that some palestinian prisoners would also be freed. and an agreement would need to be reached on the future of gaza, including whether israeli troops can remain there. our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley has this report. with hopes rising for a breakthrough

at last, all eyes were on what the qatari mediators had to say. we have reached a point _ qatari mediators had to say. we have reached a point where _ qatari mediators had to say. we have reached a point where the _ qatari mediators had to say. we have reached a point where the major - reached a point where the major issues that were preventing a deal from happening were addressed and we have language pertaining to this issue that has happened between both parties. we especially appreciate both the biden administration and incoming trump administration in their talks in the class —— in the talks in the past couple of weeks. october the 7th 2023 was israel's where state, an unprecedented attack by gaza by land, airand where state, an unprecedented attack by gaza by land, air and sea led by hamas. 1,200 people were killed, many attending a music festival. and hostages were taken, 250 of them. around 100 are still in gaza, their families desperate to have them back. israel responded with fury, vowing to crush hamas. in the war that has followed, swathes of gaza

have been turned into rubble and more than 116,000 palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians. most of the population of gaza has been displaced. the suffering on a scale that aid workers say it's hard to comprehend. the international community says it must end. pressing hard to close — community says it must end. pressing hard to close this. _ community says it must end. pressing hard to close this. the _ community says it must end. pressing hard to close this. the deal _ community says it must end. pressing hard to close this. the deal we - community says it must end. pressing hard to close this. the deal we have i hard to close this. the deal we have structured would free the hostages, halt the fighting, provide security to israel and allow us to significantly search —— increase humanitarian assistance to the palestinians.— humanitarian assistance to the palestinians. . , , , palestinians. there has been 'ust one ause palestinians. there has been 'ust pause in fl palestinians. there has been 'ust one pause in the i palestinians. there has been 'ust one pause in the fighting i palestinians. there has been just one pause in the fighting back. palestinians. there has been just one pause in the fighting back in| one pause in the fighting back in november 2023 when some hostages were freed, in return for palestinian prisoners going home. since then, mediators have tried so many times and failed to end the war. the renewed urgency comes from soon to be president trump who sent his middle east envoy to israel at the weekend to twist arms. he now says the deal is close, but it has

to be deal —— has to be done or in his words, there is going to be a lot of trouble out there. a deal would halt the bombardment and bring israeli hostages back to their families. it would allow palestinians to return to what is left of their homes. the humanitarian situation in gaza described by the un is catastrophic could finally be addressed. a deal now seems to be tantalisingly close, but it is not there yet. caroline hawley, bbc news. we'll speak to tom bateman in washington, and jonah fisher is injerusalem. jonah, what are we hearing from the israelis? an israeli official told the bbc real progress appears to have been made _ real progress appears to have been made in _ real progress appears to have been made in those talks and that detailed _ made in those talks and that detailed negotiations are now taking place about hundreds and thousands of small— place about hundreds and thousands of small details that make up that agreement. so it does appear like the big _

agreement. so it does appear like the big principles have been agreed in the _ the big principles have been agreed in the small technical parts are now being _ in the small technical parts are now being talked over. that are certainly _ being talked over. that are certainly those here in israel though— certainly those here in israel though who don't want this deal to id though who don't want this deal to go through —— that is certainly. we have _ go through —— that is certainly. we have heard — go through —— that is certainly. we have heard from far—right members are benjamin netanyahu's cabinet over the _ are benjamin netanyahu's cabinet over the last few days, one calling this possible agreement a catastrophe for israeli national security — catastrophe for israeli national security. another this morning saying — security. another this morning saying that it would be a surrender to hamas — saying that it would be a surrender to hamas and pointing out that this deal as_ to hamas and pointing out that this deal as it _ to hamas and pointing out that this deal as it has been outlined at the moment— deal as it has been outlined at the moment does not include the release of all israeli _ moment does not include the release of all israeli hostages. it does have — of all israeli hostages. it does have to — of all israeli hostages. it does have to be pointed out that this may 'ust have to be pointed out that this may just turn— have to be pointed out that this may just turn out to be posturing, very public _ just turn out to be posturing, very public expressions of outrage. the crunch_ public expressions of outrage. the crunch point may come when this deal is agreed _ crunch point may come when this deal is agreed do— crunch point may come when this deal is agreed. do these members of vitinha — is agreed. do these members of vitinha -- — is agreed. do these members of vitinha —— members are mr netanyahu's cabinet go a step further— netanyahu's cabinet go a step further and decide to resign from government and potentially bring the government down? we will have to see whether— government down? we will have to see whether they willing to follow through on the strong words we have heard _ through on the strong words we have heard from _ through on the strong words we have heard from them over the last couple

of days _ heard from them over the last couple of da s. ., ~ heard from them over the last couple of da s. ., ,, i. ., heard from them over the last couple ofda s. ., ,, ., ., of days. thank you. tom bateman in washington- — of days. thank you. tom bateman in washington. tell _ of days. thank you. tom bateman in washington. tell us _ of days. thank you. tom bateman in washington. tell us about _ of days. thank you. tom bateman in washington. tell us about the - washington. tell us about the american role in this. we are in the strange period in the closing days of the biden presidency and donald trumpjust about to of the biden presidency and donald trump just about to return to the white house. trumpjust about to return to the white house-— trumpjust about to return to the white house. yes, six days until... we arejust — white house. yes, six days until... we are just stepping _ white house. yes, six days until... we are just stepping away - white house. yes, six days until... we are just stepping away from - white house. yes, six days until... i we are just stepping away from the news to take you to the house of commons, where chancellor rachel reeves is making a statement and answering questions after she returned... the hostages with their families and also for the palestinians who he said had been through hell to have a future. we know that both his envoy, brett mcgurk, and the envoy for incoming president trump steven witkoff, had both been in the region, both in doha and steve witkoff visiting israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu over the weekend. we understand that was a pretty assertive stance the trump

transition team have taken. trying in china and that outstanding british companies like jaguar land rover and astrazeneca who will benefit from the steps that we have agreed. we have worked to let market access barriers across a range of goods and services particularly in the agri—food sector. we have successfully secured new licences and allocations for uk firms to improve operating access in china. and we agreed to cooperate further, including by renewing our shared commitment to the uk china stop connect scheme first launched in 2019, deepening our cooperation and wealth management to a uk— china wealth management to a uk— china wealth connect scheme and progressing initiatives on pensions and sustainable finance, delivering significant benefits for uk firms and for the city of london. i am pleased that china agreed to issue

its first ever overseas sovereign green bond in 2025, underlining the uk's position as a global capital for high—quality, sustainable finance. the uk is a global leader in financial services and there are significant opportunities to expand our presence in new markets. but tangible outcomes that we have delivered this week will help to delivered this week will help to deliver that. these steps are part of a wider programme making substantive progress in improving arrangements for uk exporters and investors. this is reflected in new agreements on vaccine approvals, fertiliser, whiskey labelling, legal services, automotive and accountancy. which has set us on course for this dialogue to unlock value for the uk economy. these outcomes, agreed with my counterpart, represent pragmatic cooperation and action and they

support secure and resilient economic growth. because security and economic growth go hand in hand. this means finding the right way to build a stable and balanced relationship with china in our national interest. one that recognises the importance of cooperation in addressing the global issues we face. competing where our interest ever and challenging robustly whenever that is required. in beijing and shanghai i was clear that busby must cooperate on areas of mutual interest, we will confidently challenge on areas where we disagree. i expressed our country's real economic and trade concerns to the including trade balances and economic security. and i raised concerns about russia's illegal war in ukraine, human rights and restrictions on rights and freedoms in hong kong. including the case of a completely unjustified sanctions against british

parliamentarians. a key outcome of this dialogue is that we have secured china's commitment to improve existing channels so that we can openly discuss sensitive issues under way in which they impact our economy. because, if we do not engage with china, we cannot raise are real concerns. this dialogue is just one part of our engagement, with trading partners right across the world. since becoming chancellor that i have been to new york, washington, toronto and brussels to build our global economic relationships. whilst my right honourable friend the business secretary has travelled to the gulf to boost trade and investment and my right honourable friend the home foreign secretary is engaging with partners all over the world to deliver growth which benefits people across the united kingdom. because we must continue to go further and faster in driving economic growth to make working people better off, that is why, yesterday, the prime minister launched our ai opportunities action plan to throw

the full weight of government behind artificial intelligence in the uk. revolutionising our public services and making our economy more productive. it is why, next week, i will be meeting with business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs at the world's economic forum meeting to make the case that the uk is one of the best places in the world to invest. and in the coming weeks, i will be setting out further details on our plans to kick—start growth in details on our plans to kick—st