Active in gaza. Mediators have been waiting for hamas to respond to an israeli proposal to halt the fighting for forty days and to exchange hostages, for palestinian prisoners. But even if a deal is reached, israeli prme minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists there will be a fresh Military Offensive in rafah. There has been Widespread International concern that an Israeli Ground operation could endanger more than one million palestinians sheltering there. Our correspondent Anna Foster Injerusalem has more on where negotiations stand as of saturday. Were at that point in proceedings where, through the afternoon, ive been watching in the regional media, various briefings, everything from saying were on the verge of an agreement the framework of an agreement everything through to israel saying no, they wont agree to a ceasefire to end the war permanently. The key thing at this point in time is this is the moment where we hear these briefings and hear Different Things from different sides but until we get some sort of official word, potentially from the egyptian mediators, in charge of the talks in cairo, really all of that is background noise. What we do know is that one key Sticking Point is the idea of a permanent ceasefire. Now, we know that is a key part of what hamas is asking for out of this deal, the idea that there would be eventual end to this war, rather than just a temporary ceasefire, while the exchange goes on. We know israel, equally, say that without a Ground Offensive in rafah, which Benjamin Netanyahu, the israeli Prime Minister, has been talking about for months, they say they cant deliver on the aim of fully removing hamas from gaza. They have been saying at the last few days even if there is a deal that Military Operation will go ahead. Bbc arabic� s abdel Bassir Hassan has also been following negotiations and has the latest from cairo they are taking it soriously. A statement made by a hamas leader have made some complications of the scene here. They said they are coming with their basic demands of full cessation of the war, full and complete withdrawal of the israeli troops from gaza and full access to the strip as well as Free Movement which seemingly had a reaction from the israeli side twice. This day, some media quoted a diplomatic official saying they will not stop the offensive Against Rafah as long as hamas is demanding an end to the war. This led the Cabinet Minister to ask this unnamed diplomatic official to exercise restraint because they didnt get any clear answer from because they didnt get any clear Answerfrom Hamas because they didnt get any clear answer from hamas so far. Anti war protests at us colleges continued on saturday, some conflicting with graduation ceremonies. Pro palestinian demonstrators interrupted a Graduation Ceremony at the university of michigan. Some graduates held palestinian flags while Chanting Slogans in the packed stadium. Amid growing demonstrations over the war in gaza more universities are bracing for disruptions at graduation ceremonies. Meanwhile police at the University Of Virginia tore down tents and cleared out protesters after declaring the encampment an Unlawful Assembly and Columbia University in new york is rethinking its commencement plans. More than a0 Us College Campuses have seen Student Protests or encampments over the past two weeks. Earlier i spoke to the director of the cato institute� s center for educational freedom neal mccluskey. Neal mccluskey thank you for coming in the studio. We saw disruptions in the Graduation Ceremony in the university of michigan. What do you mac of it overall . Weve seen dozens of universities with these protests. How do you think they are balancing the rights of freedom of speech, Freedom Of Expression on campus with concerns potentially of safety . I think every campus is different. Every state where a lot of these things are happening is different. Its a difficult line to draw. I think different institutions draw on the different places. Generally i dont think weve seen a lot of colleges that have had over the top police responses. I think they too ied over the top police responses. I think they too led to let the protesters speak. They often will allow them to have their encampments but they do say, look, you cant interrupt something really important, you cant interrupt the education, you certainly cant interrupt graduation especially considering ago a lot graduating now missed a lot of couege graduating now missed a lot of college because of covid and they would at least like to end with normalcy. So theyre trying to make this balance, we can continue to operate as an institution while allowing you to speak. Then theres the bigger question of in some states, we have universities, governors, sometimes legislatures, will say, we need to be stricter with Police Coming in and breaking these things up and then it gets a little more dicey. We things up and then it gets a little more dicey. Things up and then it gets a little more dicey. We saw the governor little more dicey. We saw the governor of little more dicey. We saw the governor of texas little more dicey. We saw the governor of texas bringing i little more dicey. We saw the governor of texas bringing in j governor of texas bringing in troopers quickly to demonstrations there. Universities have always been thought to be a place of open discussion, of scholarly classes, of digging in on some difficult topics, like the war currently in the middle east. Do you think that universities are struggling to do that right now . Are they not able to engage with in topic in a way that relates more towards classes or studies . Clearly with the classes or studies . Clearly with the protests classes or studies . Clearly with the protests and classes or studies . Clearly with the protests and the l with the protests and the encampments, there are difficulties. Ucla had a clash of protesters that got really ugly. I think protesters are saying what they want to say, making statements, and a big production out of what they want. I havent seen a lot of it lead to constructive dialogue. I think if you go into universities and the dormitories, into the classes, you are probably seeing kids more engaged with in, on the one on one, Free Exchange of ideas. Are not always, lets get together with people we with, its lets get our message out. With, its lets get our message out. With, its lets get our message out. With, its lets get our messaue out. ,. ,. ,. Message out. You wrote a piece, feds should message out. You wrote a piece, feds should leave message out. You wrote a piece, feds should leave campus feds should leave Campus Unrest to others. What role do you think the government should play when it comes to the protests . Play when it comes to the rotests . ,. , protests . So, this makes me very nervous protests . So, this makes me very nervous. As protests . So, this makes me very nervous. As we protests . So, this makes me very nervous. As we said, protests . So, this makes me| very nervous. As we said, its very nervous. As we said, its very hard to draw this line. Where do you draw the line between safety, academics and free speech. When the federal government comes in and says, we will draw the line, if they get it wrong, everybody in they get it wrong, everybody in the country suffers. The country suffers. Have they rotten it the country suffers. Have they gotten it wrong the country suffers. Have they gotten it wrong in the country suffers. Have they gotten it wrong in we the country suffers. Have they gotten it wrong in we saw the country suffers. Have they gotten it wrong in we saw the | gotten it wrong in we saw the can House Speaker at Colombia University himself giving a press conference, President Biden speaking out a couple days ago. Biden speaking out a couple days ago biden speaking out a couple da saao. ,. , days ago. They started to speak on it but they days ago. They started to speak on it but they generally days ago. They started to speak on it but they generally have. On it but they generally have not passed legislation. They have also had hearings that i think are kind of counter productive. They Bring College president s in front of a Congressional Committee and grill them for hour us. It more seems like venting. That is not helpful. They recently in the house passed a bill that has a definition of Anti Semitism they would like to apply to investigations of colleges, that i think is very dangerous and jeopardising free speech because its notjust saying, if it is a clear threat it should be illegal, but if you say things that could be combined with a threat, that we say is Anti Semitism we need to have a very clear line that speech is protected, especially from the federal government. We saw a lot of from the federal government. We saw a lot of comparisons now between these protests and the anti war protests in the late 60s. How much of a political liability do you think that the current protests are for the democrats and for bidens chances of re election . Im democrats and for bidens chances of reelection . Im not a political chances of reelection . Im not a political prognosticator. Chances of reelection . Im not a political prognosticator. We. A political prognosticator. We have seen that the Biden Administration is concerned about losing support in heavily muslim areas. I think he is certainly worried about it seeming like he doesnt have a handle on this situation, but i think that the best thing he can do regardless of politics is not do something excessive from the federal government, not do an executive order, or something to try to quash these protests. Its ok to, if he feels he needs to use the pulpit to say, cant we discuss this and do it peacefully . I think that is mainly what were seeing in the protests. The best thing otherwise is for him to not get involved. ,. , involved. Universities and politicians involved. Universities and politicians walking involved. Universities and politicians walking that i involved. Universities and i politicians walking that line, trying to find a way forward when it comes to these protests. N director of cato centre for educational freedom, thank you. Local Election Results in england came in thick and fast satuday and the news was grim for uk Prime Minister rishi sunak and his conservative party. The most shocking result was in the West Midlands, centred on the uks second largest city, birmingham, where two term conservative mayor andy street lost to Richard Parker from the opposition labour party. The bbc� s Political Editor chris mason reports. How are you feeling, andy . We will see. Out of his hands. The Conservative Andy Street arrived here at lunchtime awaiting the verdict of voters. It was to be a long wait for mr street and his labour rival, Richard Parker. Votes rechecked, a recount in coventry and this result in the last hour or so. The number of votes recorded for each. | weve waited all day for this moment. Its happening now. The result. And i do hereby declare that Richard Parker. L cheering this is the most important thing i will ever do. This week, people here voted for the person and the party. They recognise that a labour mayor can make a positive difference in this region. So where do i go . A winner and a loser and the finest of margins. Mr street, commiserations. What do you put your loss down to . Very straightforward, chris, isnt it . We didnt persuade enough people across the West Midlands of our record and our plans for the future to give them confidence to go and vote on thursday. Ive always said it was my campaign and we didnt get over the line. Very straightforward. Bluntly, is Rishi Sunakto blame . No, this was my campaign. Idid it. The famous words. I did it my way, and it was always going to be like that. And in the end it wasnt quite enough. But ill tell you what, it was bloody close excuse my language and no one would have expected that. To be clear, do you want rishi sunak to lead the conservatives into the general election . Yes, there is. It would be complete madness to have another moment of introspection. Khan, sadiq labour party. Elsewhere, labours sadiq khan has won again in london. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, london. Its the honour of my life to serve the city that i love. Therefore, i declare that andy burnham is duly elected as the mayor of the Greater Manchester combined authority. There was another Labour Victory in Greater Manchester. It has been hard to keep Greater Manchester moving forward when the country has been going backwards, but we have managed it, and our economy is growing faster than the uks. Labour also won in liverpool, salford, South Yorkshire and west yorkshire. But the eye catching result today is in the West Midlands. Chris mason, bbc news in birmingham. We can tell you the results now as we approach a general election. As we approach a general election as we approach a general election. � ,. ~ election. Its a knife edge. 1500 votes election. Its a knife edge. 1500 votes between election. Its a knife edge. 1500 votes between the i election. Its a knife edge. 1500 votes between the Labour Victor and andy street despite half a million votes were cast. This these are the percentages. Very close. 37. 8 to 37. 5. Not the 12 , that very close. 37. 8 to 37. 5. Not the i2 , that was an independent candidate critical of labours policy on the war in gaza. Despite that labour made it through. Theres the swing. It wasnt just the West Midlandses. London today as well. A swing to labour. The conservatives hoped to close the gap, the opposite hand. We now have a good picture across the country. 106 of 107 councils declared. Labour up 185. A good result. The conservatives down 473. They lost almost half of all the seats they defended on thursday. A bad result. You can see the Liberal Democrats have on thursdays results just overtaken them. Its worth pointing out the greens are up 74. Pointing out the greens are up 7a. Finally this. This is what they will study in headquarters. What it might mean for a general election. When you speak to people in labour h0. They sound confident it is in the right places. In the democratic republic of congo, a deadly bombing of a Displacement Camp the eastern city of goma on friday killed at least nine people, including children. The Congolese Army and the M23 Rebel Group blame each other for the attack. The attack has been internationally condemned. The us says it is � gravely concerned about the expansion of m23 fighters and army forces from neigbouring rwanda in eastern dr congo. French president Emmanuel Macron has also urged rwanda to end its alleged backing of m23. Rwanda rejects claims that it is involved. Congolese president Felix Chissa Keddy cut short his visit to europe following the attacks. Government officials are urging people in goma to remain calm until it carries out a proportionate response. The humanitarian situation is deepening amid violence between the Congolese Army and various Militia Groups that are trying to take control of mineral rich land. More than 6. 5 Million People are internally displaced overall. For more on the situation, i spoke to founder of ngo focus congo pappy 0rion. Hes currently in goma visiting Displacement Camps. Thank you for being here. I know you are currently in goma, visiting camps of internally displaced refugees. What have you been seeing . Thank you for having me. I am currently in goma and the situation in goma with the displacements and when you go through the camps you see desperation. You see thousands of people with no shelter, no food, no clean water. It is desperate. For me, as someone who was born here, and had been in this situation, its inhumane to see how the people are living here. Is humanitarian aid making it to those people there . What do they need . Whats the situation like . Yes. I think some humanitarian aid is there, but theres not enough for all the people in the Displacement Camp. Theres around almost 7 million internally displaced people in the drc and one of the camps, i visit a camp. I new we have around 800,000 people a