Hugo Bachega
Reporting from Lebanon

Lebanon is also anxiously watching the negotiations for a possible ceasefire in Gaza which, according to the Shia Islamist group Hezbollah, will mean a pause in the cross-border attacks that the group has carried out on Israel since October.

The violence has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border and raised fears of a major confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel, which fought a devastating month-long war in 2006.

There have been intense efforts, led by US envoy Amos Hochstein, to reduce tensions and reach a long-term deal. Hezbollah, a powerful political and military group supported by Iran, has said it will observe in Lebanon any ceasefire in Gaza, but that a permanent agreement can only be negotiated after the end of the war there.

Hezbollah says its attacks are in support of Hamas, aimed at diverting Israeli troops from Gaza to the border with Lebanon. In Israel, defence officials have threatened to use military force against the group – which, like Hamas, is considered a terrorist organisation by the UK, the US and others – if diplomacy fails to de-escalate the situation.

On Monday, two Israeli soldiers were killed after what Hezbollah described as a drone attack on a military base in the town of Metula. A day earlier, an Israeli airstrike killed four members of a Lebanese family in a house in the village of Meiss al Jabal, according to local officials.

The situation regarding a Gaza ceasefire is "very murky" at the moment, according to international affairs think tank Chatham House.

"I can only imagine how the families of Israel hostages as well as all the people in Gaza are feeling on this rollercoaster," Dr Lina Khatib, an associate fellow at the think tank, tells BBC 5 Live Breakfast.

"Diplomatic efforts are being stepped up by Egypt, by Qatar and by the US. It’s also positive that Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will send negotiations back to Cairo," she added ahead of talks continuing today.

When asked if any concessions were on the table, she says that it remains unclear.

"There are unconfirmed reports that Hamas effectively wants a long-term end to ‘hostile activity'... if this is long-term or forever as an unnamed Palestinian official supposedly said, this would be a game changing situation because it means Hamas are accepting only playing a political role."

"We’ll have to wait and see," she adds.

Khatib says that Israel wants to put more pressure on Hamas to accept their terms. "Unfortunately, civilians always suffer in this scenario. It is likely still the US is going to exert more pressure on Israel to prevent the current attack on Rafah from expanding," she says.

The significance of Israel claiming control of the Rafah crossingpublished at 08:18 British Summer Time 7 May

08:18 BST 7 May

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

The significance of Israel taking operational control, as they describe it, of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing means they have got their soldiers there, it means that they have got their armoured vehicles there.

And it means that they are in control of that area which is the southern route into Gaza.

More broadly, one thing that Israel may be wanting to do is to take control of the entire area, which runs between Gaza and Egypt at the very southern point.

It’s called the Philadelphi Corridor, and Israel says that if it takes control of that it would stop, in the future, tunnels being built in which might give people the chance to smuggle weapons in.

But that’s looking quite a way ahead, because of course at the moment there is all this massive amount of diplomatic activity around the ceasefire talks.

Image source, .

Image source, Reuters

As Israel claims control of the Rafah crossing in Gaza, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has warned of the impact diminished aid supplies will have on civilians.

“The biggest problem we have in the last 24 to 48 hours is the border crossing and not having enough aid supplies come in," Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the agency, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The situation is “extremely concerning”, she says.

Looking ahead, she warns of the risk to Gazans' health, saying the sanitation situation is deteriorating and very high temperatures are expected in the summer with many people currently sheltering in plastic tents.

Wateridge, who is in Rafah, says the atmosphere is subdued. Many are waiting to see what happens next, while some are leaving the city, she says.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

The Israeli military has said they have taken operational control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing which is on the border with Egypt.

We have witnesses in Rafah saying that there were flares lighting up the sky overnight. There was the constant sound of Israeli bombardments and the Israeli army says it has killed 20 - what it calls Hamas "terrorists" - and says it has found three tunnel shafts in that area around the crossing.

It is stressing at the moment that it is still a very limited and precise operation, that it’s not the full-scale ground offensive of Rafah which the world powers have been warning against because of the dire humanitarian consequences in the city that is so packed with Palestinians who fled the fighting elsewhere in Gaza.

All this going on adds to the diplomatic pressure. The Qataris have been mediators in the potential hostage deal, sending their team back to Cairo so they can talk again about a ceasefire.

It is very confusing because we had an Israeli official saying last night, quoted anonymously, this seems to be an Egyptian proposal that Hamas had accepted, it wasn’t meeting the Israeli requirements.

But then there were other officials coming out and saying, well this is actually very close to an Israeli proposal that was put forward at the end of last month, which the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken then described as being extraordinarily generous.

Israel carried out strikes on the southern Gazan city of Rafah overnight, after warning Palestinians to evacuate eastern areas.

Residents have been inspecting the damage caused by the strikes this morning in the city, where 1.4 million people are sheltering:

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, the Israeli army confirmed they have "operational control" of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing. We can bring you more detail on their statement now.

"The IDF began a precise counterterrorism operation in the eastern Rafah area. Following intelligence that indicated that the Rafah crossing in eastern Rafah was being used for terrorist purposes, IDF troops obtained operational control of the Gazan side of the crossing overnight (Monday)," the statement says.

The military goes on to say that as a part of their operation, they "struck and eliminated Hamas terror targets in the Rafah area," and "approximately 20 terrorists have been eliminated and three operational tunnel shafts have been located". The BBC has not verified this information.

It adds that the IDF would continue to operate against Hamas in eastern Rafah and in the Rafah crossing area.

The Rafah crossing is closed after Israel took control of the Gazan side, the IDF says.

In an early morning press briefing, it said Kerem Shalom crossing is also currently closed and will reopen once the security situation allows.

Image source, .

The Israeli army says they have “operational control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing”, according to an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) official.

Earlier Israeli tanks moved in on the area, which is the southernmost post of exit from Gaza and borders Egypt.

After weeks of ceasefire talks, Hamas said yesterday it accepted the terms offered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. But Israel rejected the proposal, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it is "far from Israel's basic requirements".

However, he added that Israel would sent negotiators to Cairo today for further ceasefire talks today.

A senior Palestinian official familiar with the proposal told the BBC that Hamas had agreed to end "hostile activity forever" if the conditions were met.

That phrase hinted that Hamas might be contemplating the end of its armed struggle, although no further details were provided. It would come at the conclusion of a two-phase ceasefire deal, with each phase lasting 42 days.

The first phase would include the release of the female Israeli soldiers being held hostage, each in exchange for 50 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including some who are serving life sentences.

During this period, Israeli troops would remain within Gaza. But within 11 days of the ceasefire coming into force, Israel would begin dismantling its military facilities in the centre of the territory and would withdraw from Salah al-Din Road, which is the main north-south route, and the coastal road.

After 11 days, displaced Palestinians would be allowed to return to the north.

The second phase would conclude with a "sustainable long period of calm" and the complete lifting of the blockade of Gaza, according to the official.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

Flares lit up the skies over Rafah overnight and witnesses said there was continuous Israeli bombardment.

Earlier celebrations by Gazans after Hamas leaders dramatically declared they had approved a deal for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages had proven premature.

The Hamas announcement came just hours after Israel had ordered an evacuation of eastern Rafah signalling that an invasion was imminent.

Israel was quick to question what Hamas had agreed to, with one unnamed official suggesting the proposal appeared to be a watered-down version of an Egyptian offer which included elements that Israel could not accept.

Ultimately, Israel’s war cabinet decided to continue its operation in Rafah while sending negotiators to Egypt to work on a deal.

Last night US President Joe Biden called Israel’s prime minister and reiterated US concerns about a full offensive in Rafah – which is crowded with displaced people.

Marita Moloney
Live editor

Good morning and welcome back to our live coverage as negotiations over a possible Gaza ceasefire deal are set to continue today in Egypt.

Hamas said yesterday that it had accepted truce terms offered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. But a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office described the proposal as "far from Israel's basic requirements".

Israel's war cabinet voted to continue operations but is however sending a delegation to indirect talks in Cairo.

It comes after Israel’s military said on Monday that it had begun telling Palestinians to leave certain areas in eastern Rafah and to head to an "expanded humanitarian area" ahead of a “limited” operation in the southern Gaza city.

Israel carried out strikes on Rafah overnight, and Israeli forces and tanks were seen near the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza, reports in Israeli media said.

The UN, US and others have warned that an assault on the city, where more than a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, could have catastrophic consequences.

Our teams in London and across the Middle East will be bringing you live updates and analysis throughout the day, so stay with us.

We’re about to pause our live coverage, but here's a recap of what happened on Monday.

Hamas leaders said they had agreed to the terms of a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar. Israel rejected it as "far from meeting" its "core demands". It is sending a delegation for indirect talks in Cairo to secure an "acceptable" agreement.

Among other developments today:

• Israel's army says it conducted "targeted strikes" against Hamas in eastern Rafah, after urging civilians to leave. Thousands did just that, moving to what the army calls an expanded "humanitarian area" to the north of Rafah
• Israel says the operation is “limited”. In response, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad faction, which operates alongside Hamas, fired rockets at southern Israel
• It is not clear what Hamas agreed to in a potential ceasefire deal negotiated by Egyptian and Qatari moderators, but terms are thought to include release of hostages and the return of displaced Palestinians within Gaza
• Israeli negotiators will travel to Cairo for more talks on Tuesday
• Protesters came out on the streets of Tel Aviv demanding a ceasefire agreement. A group representing families of Israeli hostages sent a message to government negotiators: “do not return without a signed deal”
• John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said the talks between Israel and Hamas were at a "critical" stage: "I don't know that it gets any more sensitive than right now," he said.

It's been difficult to get information from inside Rafah on Israel's operation there.

The Israeli military said it had conducted "targeted strikes" in eastern Rafah. It earlier ordered the evacuation of some 100.000 people to a new humanitarian camp near Khan Younis.

The Associated Press news agency said Israeli tanks had been spotted heading towards Rafah, on a route very close to the border with Egypt - but the BBC cannot independently verify this.

Images of flares lighting the sky over the Gazan city earlier on Monday, which were sent to the BBC by a Palestinian medic, may suggest ground forces were involved in the raid - as flares are often used for illumination and target marking.

Netanyahu facing tough choicespublished at 01:17 British Summer Time 7 May

01:17 BST 7 May

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

Hamas has put Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure.

His first public response to the group's agreement to a ceasefire was to say it was "far from meeting Israel's demands".

Nonetheless, he has dispatched a delegation to discuss it.

He is in a political bind. His government depends on the support of Jewish ultranationalists. They have threatened to topple it unless Israel fully occupies Rafah. A ceasefire would mean no Rafah offensive.

At the same time, families and supporters of Israeli hostages demand a deal to get them back home.

The Americans want a deal. If Joe Biden pushes Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire, the Israeli PM will have to choose between his government's survival and the vital support the US president has given him since the 7 October attacks.

A ceasefire would also mean that Israel would not achieve the "total victory" Netanyahu has sworn to deliver.

More negotiations, and tough choices, come next.

Read Jeremy Bowen's full article here.

It's been a rollercoaster on the diplomatic front on Monday.

First, Hamas stated it had agreed to a ceasefire plan drawn up through indirect talks facilitated by US, Qatar and Egypt.

Israel then quickly rejected the deal, which has not been made public.

Perhaps crucially, however, Israel did say it would send a delegation to Cairo for more (indirect) talks.

Qatar, the state where Hamas' leadership is based, confirmed that its delegates would return on Tuesday.

"The Qatari delegation will head to Cairo on Tuesday morning to resume indirect negotiations between the two parties," the Qatari foreign ministry said.

It added that the diplomats "hope that the talks will culminate in reaching an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza strip".

Image source, Pool/EPA

Jordan's king has warned the US that an Israeli attack on Rafah threatened to lead to a "new massacre", according to a readout of a meeting between the two leaders.

Joe Biden was meeting King Abdullah II at the White House on Monday as news broke of a potential ceasefire deal.

Notes from the Jordanian side said the king warned that a ground offensive in Rafah could cause a “regional spill-over” of the conflict, and stressed the need to protect civilians in Gaza.

The Jordanian statement said Abdullah "warned that the Israeli attack on Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinians are internally displaced as a result of the war on Gaza, threatens to lead to a new massacre.

“His Majesty stressed the importance of all efforts that seek an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” according to a news release from the Jordanian royal court.

Both leaders have a lot riding on the outcome of the ceasefire talks, and will be hoping that a truce takes hold soon.

A Hamas deputy leader in Gaza told the Reuters news agency that the ceasefire terms it agreed to on Monday included an Israeli-Palestinian prisoner swap over three phases.

The BBC cannot independently verify the information at this point, but here are the details:

Phase one: Would involve a 42-day ceasefire period where Hamas releases 33 hostages in return for the release of Palestinian prioners from Israeli jails.

It would also involve Israel partially withdrawing troops from Gaza and allowing Palestinians to move freely from the south to north.

Phase two: Involves another 42-day ceasefire period in which a "sustainable calm" would be restored to Gaza and Israeli troops would completely withdraw.

Hamas would also be expected to release Israeli reservists and some soldiers being held hostage in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners from jail.

Phrase three: Would see the exchanging of bodies completed and the starting of reconstruction according to a plan overseen by Qatar, Egypt and the United Nations.

It would also see the end of the Gaza Strip's complete blockade.

As we've been reporting, the exact details of the proposal agreed by Hamas are still unclear and Israeli's Netanyahu has said that the agreement was "far from meeting Israel's demands", adding that he would send a team to Cairo to negotiate further.

The US does not believe Monday's Israeli fire in eastern Rafah represents a "major" military operation, the Reuters news agency has quoted an unnamed US official as saying.

The official said Washington was focused on heading off a major military operation into densely populated areas of Rafah and that it does not appear the Israelis are doing that.

Other reports suggested that Israeli operations on Monday lasted around 30 minutes. We'll keep you updated however with anything that does happen, as well as analysis of the developments. Stay with us.

We reported earlier that Israel was sending a delegation to Egypt to discuss a ceasefire agreement, after Benjamin Netanyahu said what had been agreed already fell short of expectations.

The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters group has said that the delegation must not return without a signed agreement.

In a short statement, the group said that it welcomed "the Prime Minister and the War Cabinet on their swift deliberation and decision to send a negotiation delegation".

It said it hoped that delegation would "exhaust Hamas's position and turn it into a deal for the return of all the hostages".

"Now is the time to demand from the negotiation team and all international partners - do not return without a signed deal," the group says.