For Palestinian Prisoners. Unconfirmed reports in us media say israel has given hamas a week to agree to the current proposal or it will begin its long threatened offensive in rafah. But there has been Widespread International concern over the fate of the more than one million palestinians sheltering there. Our correspondent, anna foster is injerusalem. I asked her about the increasing pressure on hamas to reach a deal. Yeah. Were at the same stage samantha where an israeli deal has been put on the table. It was described at the start of the week by the us secretary of state, antony blinken, as extraordinarily generous. And it seems to be that in this latest iteration of the deal, there had been some movement in terms of potentially agreeing to talk about a permanent ceasefire. Now, from israels point of view, of course, its priority at the moment is trying to ensure the release of all the remaining hostages that are being held in gaza. One of hamas� s key priorities is to try and get some sort of agreement towards a permanent ceasefire rather than a temporary one. So while it seems that the two sides are moving closer together, there is still a disconnect, i think, on that point. And i think also on the number of hostages to be released. Now, originally we were told the number that was being talked about was around 40, then the briefings were that that had come down to around 33. These are people who are in whats considered the humanitarian category, women, the elderly, and people who are suffering from particular medical conditions. Of course, the question is how many of those Hostages Hamas actually has access to in gaza and how many of them are still alive . Equally, the number of Palestinian Prisoners who would be freed from israeli jails, that number sounds like its still being discussed as well. So while these proposals are on the table, while they were being welcomed at the start of the week as a step closer, the fact that the talks are going on is positive. I think the fact that william burns, the head of the cia, is in cairo again, is potentially a positive move because he, i think, is there to try and facilitate and iron out those last few details. But its worth saying weve been in the last few months at this point before when when things are looking good, when the sides are looking like they might agree and things crumble at the last minute. So that hope is always, i think, always a cautious hope rather than than one without sort of thinking about what could happen and how close things can get before they fall at the final hurdle. And anna, what more can you tell us about these us media reports that israel has given hamas a week to agree to a proposal or it will begin its long threatened offensive in rafah . Long threatened is absolutely right. The president , benjamin netanyahu, has been talking about the Rafah Offensive for months now. But even though we heard in the media several weeks ago that it had a date attached, that date has never been publicly confirmed. And there are questions really about whether or not that is a date or or whether, of course, this continues to be part of israels leverage with the International Community when it comes to actually reaching a deal. What we know is that the us government, in particular israels biggest military and diplomatic partner, is not wholly supportive of that Rafah Offensive. Israel says its essential if theyre going to remove the last of hamas from gaza. But the us points to the fact that there are still around 1. 4 million displaced people in rafah. In terms of timings, could it be a week . Well, there are two things that need to happen. They need to move a large number of those people out of the way back further north in the strip before they can start an offensive. And the idf, the Israel Defense forces, would also need to move their brigades back into position inside gaza for another ground offensive. So while we hear these reports of timings, i think until it actually starts, its always incredibly hard to tell. Rishi sunak is insisting the conservatives have Everything To Fight For despite the party losing nearly half the seats contested in local elections in england. With results expected in several mayoral races today, the tories will be hoping that andy street can cling on as mayor in the West Midlands but they suffered a further loss in the East Midlands speaking at a rally to celebrate the election of claire ward as East Midlands mayor he cited the win, and victories in the Blackpool South by election and the york and North Yorkshire mayoralty, as evidence the party is on the Last Stop On The Journey to power in westminster. We have won significantly in all places across the country, whether thats by elections, whether thats mayoralties, whether thats councils, and of course the police and crime commissioners. Now, in some places we didnt get all the votes that we wanted, and of course we will fight to get those votes back, but if you look at the overarching picture and the purpose, the purpose is to serve our country, its the last stop before the general election, and we have made significant and very Real Progress everywhere that we needed to do so, so im very pleased with that. My colleague Rajini Vaidyanathan and bbc Political Editor, rob mayor are now in birmingham at the count. We are expecting the result of the mayoral contest here in the West Midlands. Sometime this afternoon. We dont know when exactly but what we do know is that it could be a really close result. Now, the incumbent mayor, the conservative is hoping for a third term in the job and throughout the campaign, labours Richard Parker has been pushing really hard. The labour party, for a long time, was really hopeful that it might take this may oral seat from the conservatives. Of course, we dont know what that result will be until the county made me has concluded but we do know that it will be very close and some Labour Sources indicated that they think they might be closer than anything and they this to the conservatives, partly because, as harry was mentioning in his report of cert kea stammer� s position on the ongoing conflict in and that is because one of the independent candidates for mayor here has been very, very firm in his position on the war in gaza. These use this as his platform and there are some who believe he could take votes away from the labour party and in the end that could leave andy street as the winner but it is worth pointing out that when it comes to me a race as it is also about figurehead. It is about personality and Andy Street Has been a big face here in the West Midlands and one that has been quite popular. He is in many ways the anti politician. He was the head of john lewis before he took over as the mayor here. Welcome to discuss all of this in a bit more detail i am by rob, the Political Editor of the West Midlands. Very appropriate name for the day that we are on. Lets tug by the news overnight and the controversy here. They were having to apologise for a source making some comments about the way they think the vote will go. It was you who spoke to the labour source. This was a story about yesterday morning this was a story about yesterday morning. Labour sources telling us early morning. Labour sources telling us early on morning. Labour sources telling us early on yesterday that they thought they had early on yesterday that they thought they had lost this contest and putting they had lost this contest and putting the blame sorta firmly on the partys position in gaza and there the partys position in gaza and there was the partys position in gaza and there was a quote from the source that said there was a quote from the source that said it there was a quote from the source that said it was the middle east that said it was the middle east that would win for the conservatives, not the West Midlands. Once again, how hamas are the villains midlands. Once again, how hamas are the villains was what this quote said the villains was what this quote said it the villains was what this quote said. It was pretty quickly slapped down said. It was pretty quickly slapped down by said. It was pretty quickly slapped down by the labour party who described it as a racist comment and they said described it as a racist comment and they said this person does not share they said this person does not share the values they said this person does not share the values of the labour party. In the values of the labour party. In the Campaign Team here, Richard Parkers the Campaign Team here, Richard Parkers Campaign Team here are confident parkers Campaign Team here are confident this is a close race. There confident this is a close race. There are confident this is a close race. There are certainly not conceding anything this morning. Lets talk about that independent candidate. By the wording of that statement did cause offence and the party has apologised for using language, including hamas, the underlying sentiment weve seen across parts of the countries that sir keir starmer� s refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire back in october may have cost the party votes and other places and potentially could have led to my support for this independent it is definitely, definitely a factor and there are some indications that the independent candidate has done quite well that at the health warning, i think, and that, if he has done my part to birmingham, for example, is that we dont know if they are Labour Voters who have lent their support to him of that particular whether they are people who just would not have voted in the first base that is yet to be determined but elsewhere in the West Midlands, places like walsall, for example, weve had some cancers in the labour party resigned last year over the gaza issue. Pm party resigned last year over the gaza issue party resigned last year over the gaza issue. ,. , gaza issue. An independent group standinu gaza issue. An independent Group Standing on gaza issue. An independent Group Standing on a gaza issue. An independent Group Standing on a propalestine gaza issue. An independent Group Standing on a propalestine Ticket Standing on a pro palestine ticket in local standing on a pro palestine ticket in local elections which were counted in local elections which were counted yesterday and up making in bed so counted yesterday and up making in bed so it counted yesterday and up making in bed so it is counted yesterday and up making in bed so it is an issue for the labour party~ bed so it is an issue for the labour party~ wett bed so it is an issue for the labour party. Well find out for that theyve party. Well find out for that theyve managed to get that under control theyve managed to get that under control in theyve managed to get that under control in this election. For the conservatives, it is for the vacancy of their conservatives, it is for the vacancy of their challenge of reform uk. Talking of their challenge of reform uk. Talking about the incumbent, andy street, when you look at is campaign literature, look at some of the speeches he has made them many ways he has distanced himself from the conservative party, trying to kind of, if he does win, win this on his Personal Appeal. Of, if he does win, win this on his Personal Appeal of, if he does win, win this on his Personal Appeal. Absolutely. It has been known Personal Appeal. Absolutely. It has been known as Personal Appeal. Absolutely. It has been known as brand Personal Appeal. Absolutely. It has been known as brand andy Personal Appeal. Absolutely. It has been known as brand andy here i Personal Appeal. Absolutely. It has been known as brand andy here in| Personal Appeal. Absolutely. It has i been known as brand andy here in the West Midlands will debate as equine as leaflets, he does not and mention that he as leaflets, he does not and mention that he is as leaflets, he does not and mention that he is conservatives. Green rather that he is conservatives. Green rather than blue. That he is conservatives. Green ratherthan blue. No that he is conservatives. Green rather than blue. No pictures of the prime rather than blue. No pictures of the prime minister. He says it is is about prime minister. He says it is is about the prime minister. He says it is is about the person, not the party. And you might about the person, not the party. And you might remember, depict a very public you might remember, depict a very public row you might remember, depict a very public row with the by minister of the cancellation over the northern le the cancellation over the northern leg of the cancellation over the northern leg of h52 the cancellation over the northern leg of h52 two just last year so i think leg of h52 two just last year so i think is leg of h52 two just last year so i think is fairly successful at putting think is fairly successful at putting some distance between him and the putting some distance between him and the party. It putting some distance between him and the party putting some distance between him and the party. It be enough . We will find out this and the party. It be enough . We will find out this afternoon . And the party. It be enough . We will find out this afternoon . Interesting l find out this afternoon . Interesting point is there because, of course, even though Andy Street Has, some ways, distance himself from the conservative party, if he does when and becomes the mayorfor another term, it will be a real glimmer of hope and success for the conservative party after a night of results which were not so favourable across many parts of the uk. Lets get some analysis on the results that have come through overnight and this morning. Our political correspondent, nick eardley, is in the newsroom. Bring us up to date on the picture so far. ~. ,. , , bring us up to date on the picture so far. , , so far. We have a pretty good icture so far. We have a pretty good picture now so far. We have a pretty good picture now about so far. We have a pretty good picture now about what so far. We have a pretty good picture now about what the i so far. We have a pretty good i picture now about what the local elections for councils in england have thrown out. There was only five orso have thrown out. There was only five or so left it to claire. Five left to declare and this is the picture. They were up 173, that is a good result for them. Theyre confident that that shows they are on track to win a westminster election. Maybe not as good as it could have been. There is a world in which labour could have done better but they are pretty happy so far. Not happy, conservatives. Look at that number their foot up down 449. They are losing of all the seats that they were defending. A result for the conservatives, towards the west end of their expectations. At the moment, the lib dems are slightly ahead of the conservatives. The greens, worth flagging as well put up greens, worth flagging as well put up with a good result for them. Up 65 seats. This is what it means in terms of the Vote Share Change for the last time. These elections were contested in 2021. You can see there the conservatives down 12 of labour up the conservatives down 12 of labour up three. A good result but may be again not quite as good as some in the labour party would have hoped for w the greens are up as well. This is interesting, though. Because this is part of the country where the conservatives had been in power in local councils and they are not any more and what is interesting to me as it is mixed. Youve got places like dorset, in the south west, where the lib dems took that council late last night. Youve got hampshire, redditch which is about other Bellwether Seat which tends to vote the same way as the rest of the country so this is a pretty grim picture if you are a tory waking up this saturday, trying to figure out what this all means for you. Lets drill in two some of the examples, actually. I think the kind of show a bit of a picture. You can see down the bottom, despite small writing but if you seal the blue there, conservative control for years. They lost eight seats on thursday. Labour took seven. That is up to give Labour Control of that council. Dorset, as I Wasjust Labour control of that council. Dorset, as i was just talking about, what you would probably call the Blue Walcott Parts of the South Of England where the conservatives are pretty safe but there is for cause that into question because look what has happened. Conservative down 13 seats, lib dem up 13, enough to give them power. Really interesting result. Just one final example want to give you. This is where the Defence Secreta