Israels pm Benjamin Netanyahu has downplayed the chances of a truce in gaza, after hamas gave what it called a Comprehensive Vision to mediators. Meanwhile a ship carrying Food Supplies for gaza has arrived and is now waiting off the coast in a test run, of what is hoped will become a new route for aid into the territory. I spoke to our correspondent, mark lowen, who is injerusalem and he told us more about the israeli team heading back to qatar. That is a sign certainly that the two sides are still talking, even though the Israeli Prime Ministers Office has said that the new hamas proposal for the ceasefire is unrealistic and that hamas are making unrealistic demands. In other words, that the demand that israel withdraw all troops from gaza is something that i think the netanyahu government wouldnt accept. What we do understand is that the substance of this proposal would be a six week ceasefire which has been talked about for some time, and a release of israeli hostages, possibly around a0 in exchange for palestinian Prisoners Released from israeli jails with a ratio of up to 20 per hostage. And during that six week ceasefire, hamas is saying that there needs to be a withdrawal of israeli troops from gaza to allow the population to return. That is a possibly slight softening of what hamas had initially demanded which was a complete ceasefire first before discussing prison exchange. But the aim still on the hamas side is israeli withdrawal from gaza which at the moment israel seems unwilling to accept. The fact that they are going back to negotiations suggest that the chancel can occasion are still open. Separately, i am reading that Benjamin Netanyahu has approved a plan for Military Action in rafah. Remember, the original timeline coming from the israelis was around the ramadan period. What are you hearing the latest on that side of things . Rafah is where more than half of the population of gaza is now sheltering, maybe as many as 1. 4 million people, President Biden has said that it would be a red line as far as his administration is concerned if the Israeli Military sent troops into rafah given the huge risks to the civilian population. But the government in israel is determined to push on, the Prime Ministers Office saying that Benjamin Netanyahu has green lit that operation. The question is when it will happen, it will require a Significant Movement of the evacuation of the civilian population. The idf has said there would be some sort of humanitarian island set up in central gaza to move people to other parts of gaza but that would require a lot of time and manpowerfrom israeli troops. I dont think there is the expectation that israel it will do this imminently, possibly at the end of the ramadan month. It is hard to tell. If they do move that poses a huge risk to the population in rafah and to that increasingly fractious relationship with the us. That ship has now arrived off the coast of gaza, what are you hearing in terms of when it will be unloaded, how that will happen, where and when the aid goes . This is a spanish aid ship carrying aid from a us charity, about 200 tonnes of aid which are coming in through this maritime corridor because the overland aid by trucks going into gaza has been held up consistently and not enough has been coming in to feed the starving population of gaza. What we understand is that the ship has now reached the coast of gaza and the aid is being off loaded onto smaller boats which will then be taken to gaza and then possibly driven into gaza. It is still unclear how it will be distributed. Distributing the aid on the ground could be extremely complex and very disorderly. We saw at the end of february, 112 People Killed in that disastrous Aid Distribution that israel blames on a stampede and trucks running over people. Palestinians blame on israeli gunfire. There has been another incident on wednesday which the palestinians are blaming israel for opening fire on another Aid Distribution. The israelis say their investigation shows they did not open fire on that Aid Distribution. It is extremely disorderly and extremely risky to distribute aid in a place where civil order has broken down. More on the boat in more on the boat in a more on the boat in a moment. More on the boat in a moment. The more on the boat in a moment. The us more on the boat in a moment. The us Secretary Of StateAntony Blinken has been talking about negotiations. Answering questions from the press the Secretary Of State said that both sides are working to bridge the gaps. The hostages. Yes, there has been a Counter Proposal put forward by hamas, i cant get into the details of what that involves. But what i can tell you is that we are working intensively with israel, with qatar, with egypt to bridge the remaining gaps and to try and reach an agreement. We have conversations that are happening now as we speak here, and i am convinced that they will go on into the coming days. Israel has sent back a Negotiating Team to pursue this and i think it reflects the sense both of possibility and emergency. Antony blinken in the last hour. President biden has praised a speech made by Chuck Schumer yesterday, when the Senate Majority leader called for new elections in israel and harshly criticized Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu as an � obstacle to peace�. President biden said his fellow democrat had expressed serious concerns, shared by many americans. Do you have any comments around Senator Schumer� s speech yesterday . Senator schumer� s speech yesterday . Senator schumer� s speech yesterday . Senator schumer contacted my staff, he, im Senator Schumer contacted my staff, he, im not Senator Schumer contacted my staff, he, im not going to elaborate on the speech, he made a good speech and i the speech, he made a good speech and i think the speech, he made a good speech and i think he expressed a serious concern and i think he expressed a serious concern shared notjust by him but by many concern shared notjust by him but by many americans. Let concern shared notjust by him but by many americans. Concern shared notjust by him but by many americans. Let us return to that aid shipment by many americans. Let us return to that aid shipment that by many americans. Let us return to that aid shipment that has by many americans. Let us return to that aid shipment that has arrived i that aid shipment that has arrived off the coast of gaza. I have been talking to open arms, the people who are partly behind this relief operation. They told me more about where they have got to with this mission. , ,. , where they have got to with this mission, ,. ,. Mission. Just started this crude with their trucks, mission. Just started this crude with their trucks, they mission. Just started this crude with their trucks, they will mission. Just started this crude i with their trucks, they will deliver the food to world central people on the food to world central people on the ground, to distribute. It is happening at this moment. Logistically, how complicated has this mission been. Getting together a boatload of aid was one part of the mission, but being able to land it anywhere, that was the first of many challenges. It anywhere, that was the first of many challenges. Yes, this is the tricky part. Many challenges. Yes, this is the tricky part. That many challenges. Yes, this is the tricky part, that is many challenges. Yes, this is the tricky part, that is why many challenges. Yes, this is the tricky part, that is why this tricky part, that is why this corridor was opened, this is the first ship arriving and it is because the waters are very shallow in the last mile, and big ships cant get close. Even our ship cant get close enough that is why we decided to charter a barge, 200 Square Metre Barge and to loaded with these pallets, 200 tonnes, and then we just push this barge using our Rescue Crafts to get it close enough to the jetty. And then take the line and fix it to the ground. Give me an idea of what is probably happening as we are speaking, does the aid have to be inspected again by the israelis . 0r the aid have to be inspected again by the israelis . Or has it been already inspected before the start of the journey . It already inspected before the start of the journey . Of the journey . It was inspected before we started of the journey . It was inspected before we started from of the journey . It was inspected before we started from cyprus, | of the journey . It was inspected | before we started from cyprus, i dont know if it will happen again, i dont think so because once it was inspected, we couldnt get any more loaded, we couldnt get it inside or outside the ship, it seems from that moment it is completely secured. Do you have any idea, this is in operation together with world kitchen. In terms of the distribution, where do you think this aid will end up in gaza . And how would it be distributed . I cant answer those questions, this is a joint operation between 0pen is a joint operation between open arms and world central kitchen but we only fill this gap at sea. From the moment we link this barge to the ground, they are the ones taking all the food and taking the responsibility on how to distribute the food. I responsibility on how to distribute the food. ~. ,. , responsibility on how to distribute thefood. ~. ,. ,. , the food. I know a second operation is bein the food. I know a second operation is being planned. The food. I know a second operation is being planned, do the food. I know a second operation is being planned, do you the food. I know a second operation is being planned, do you have the food. I know a second operation is being planned, do you have any l is being planned, do you have any idea of how frequent shiploads could use that a route like this potentially . Use that a route like this otentiall . , , potentially . This is the first operation potentially . This is the first operation and potentially . This is the first operation and the potentially . This is the first operation and the amount l potentially . This is the first | operation and the amount of potentially . This is the first operation and the amount of food isnt enough, it is just a tiny part of the daily needs. We have to think of the daily needs. We have to think of it as a test and we are doing it, open arms is small ship but bigger ships can come closer and then we can transfer the goods to this barge and we can do this last part of the operation. I think we can bring a lot of food if the operation ends well, and again, this Isjust A Test and probably we can continue to scale it up. Is and probably we can continue to scale it un scale it up. Is a test, it has worked scale it up. Is a test, it has worked so scale it up. Is a test, it has worked so far . Scale it up. Is a test, it has worked so far . Yes scale it up. Is a test, it has worked so far . Yes it scale it up. Is a test, it has worked so far . Yes it is scale it up. Is a test, it has worked so far . Yes it is working so far, it is still worked so far . Yes it is working so far, it is still ongoing. Worked so far . Yes it is working so far, it is still ongoing. We worked so far . Yes it is working so far, it is still ongoing. We did worked so far . Yes it is working so far, it is still ongoing. We did the l far, it is still ongoing. We did the most difficult part and now we are waiting to disembark the food. The latest there on that aid shipment. Let me assure you the live pictures in moscow, a polling station on the first day of russias president ial elections. Vladimir putin certain to win with all opposition being crushed. We havejust received win with all opposition being crushed. We have just received word that Vladimir Putin has now cast his ballot in those elections. More on that in just a moment or two. Around the world across the uk you are watching bbc news. Lets look at some other stories making news. Prime minister rishi sunak rules out holding a general election on the second of may, when voters will go to the polls for local elections in england. Labour accuse him of � chickening out� of announcing a date he previously said his Working Assumption is that an election would be held in the second half of the year. Mps will get a 5. 5 pay rise from april meaning their annual salary will increase to over £91,000. The independent Parliamentary Standards Authority says the decision was in line with the award recently agreed for senior civil servants, adding that it aims to be fair, both for mps and the public. Food Delivery Firm hellofresh denies taking subscriptions from customers who say they had cancelled their accounts. Some customers say their accounts reactivated with money taken for orders they had not made. They believe thatjust logging on to the app reactivated their accounts but hellofresh says money was taken food Delivery Firm hellofresh denies taking subscriptions russians are heading to the polls with Vladimir Putin the only serious candidate in the president ial elections and certain to win. Live pictures from the polling station. The three day voting exercise, comes a month after the death of the main russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, in an arctic prison colony, with the kremlin widely seen as responsible. Russias only independent Election Monitoring Organisation has been deemed a Foreign Agent and banned. 0ur Russia EditorSteve Rosenberg reports. Russias democracy is the best in the world, the kremlin says. And at polling station 38 in moscow, we found a choice of candidates, and plenty of voters. Democracy in action, right . Not quite. Realistically, only one man can win this. Vladimir putin the man whos been on russias political stage for the last quarter of a century. Vladimir putin faces no serious challenger. His fiercest rivals are in exile or in prison. Not that this woman, whose son is fighting in ukraine, wants any change at the top. Of course i voted for putin, she says. I trust him. Across the country, there are Polling Stations that dont look or sound like Polling Stations. And there is voting in parts of ukraine which are under Russian Occupation what russia calls its new territories. The Ukrainian Government called the election here illegal. Polls close on sunday night. Expect a putin landslide. Unpredictability is very much a feature of life now in russia, but that does not apply to elections. The political system here is built around one man, Vladimir Putin, and the kremlin tightly controls that system, including elections. So mr putins re election is not in doubt. Its absolutely impossible to say about our president ial election that this election is fair and free. Politician Boris Nadezhdin had tried to get on the ballot but was barred from running, he claims, because his calls to end the war were becoming popular. We have propaganda and we have a myth that everybody in russia supports putin, and everybody in russia supports the special military operation. Its really not the fact. And my Election Campaign showed that a lot of people are against putins politics and a lot of people are against the special military operation. You wont hear the kremlin saying that. This is an election designed to show that Vladimir Putin has the full support of his people. Steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. Earlier, i spoke to natalia pelevina, a russian activist and playwright who is organising a protest on sunday. I asked her what she expects to see in that gathering. We are hoping to see a turnout of people who are against the current regime or against those fraudulent we know for a fact elections. So called reinstatement of Vladimir Putin and obviously against the war. We do believe there is a lot of support for that inside russia and outside russia as well because a lot of people have been forced to flee russia, but talking about russia, even when it was dangerous to come out and voice your opinion against the regime, we do believe there is a lot of people who are brave. We saw that, it was something that we took from the funeral of Alexei Navalny. The authorities have said that coming out at noon would be to take part in an illegal gathering. Are you entirely comfortable sitting abroad, encouraging people in russia to do that when the consequences could be so dangerous for them . Irate could be so dangerous for them . We are could be so dangerous for them . Are not forcing anyone, obviously. We created this concept and anybody who wants to join willjoin. And we do understand all the potential threats and people in russia understand the threats, what Alexei Navalny� s funeral showed was that even though there werent a lot of same kind of threats, from the authorities before the funeral, a lot of people, definitely Tens Of Thousands