Inside Israel: Ongoing talks about truce and hostage deal amid growing protests

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted efforts to ease hostilities despite reported progress in negotiations over a prisoner exchange deal. 

As the Cabinet convened on Saturday to discuss outcomes from the Paris meeting, the specter of a Rafah invasion and intensified fighting in Gaza has resurfaced.

Amid calls for de-escalation, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi advocated for intensifying fighting, arguing it as the sole means to compel Hamas to accept a prisoner exchange. 

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz echoed Netanyahu's threefold stance: no ceasefire, unhindered entry into Rafah, and no presence of Hamas in Gaza.

Simultaneously, Netanyahu announced a mini-security cabinet session early next week to review and potentially approve the Rafah plan. Additionally, Tel Aviv decided to dispatch a delegation to Qatar next week to discuss technical details of the deal's initial phase, which was leaked from the Cabinet meeting.

The proposed deal includes a six-month ceasefire and the release of around 40 Israeli prisoners, including women and the ill, with efforts also to include female soldiers. The exchange ratio is set at ten Palestinian prisoners for each Israeli captive.

While Hamas dismissed Israeli disclosures as attempts to appease domestic unrest, Israeli officials oscillated between optimism for a Ramadan breakthrough and fundamental disagreements with Hamas, complicating the path to reconciliation.

On the domestic front, Israeli streets witnessed widespread protests from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, culminating near Netanyahu's residence in Caesarea. Demonstrators demanded Netanyahu's resignation and the immediate return of prisoners. 

The police dispersed the protests forcefully, resulting in numerous arrests and injuries, including an Israeli ex-captive returning from Gaza.

The scenes reflect growing internal fractures, posing a dual threat to Israel's security from both external and internal fronts.