Protests in Tel Aviv and squabbling in Israeli war cabinet as potential ceasefire with Hamas nears [Video]

A flurry of protests and conflicting high-level information arrived this weekend amid news reports that Israel and Hamas were nearing a ceasefire agreement, a long-sought goal that could end the seven-month conflict that’s cost more than 34,000 lives.

Going into the weekend, news reports quoting anonymous sources close to the ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Egypt suggested a compromise could be coming.

Outlets in Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Palestine suggested that Hamas was close to agreeing on a multi-stage hostage swap deal that would coincide with temporary pauses in fighting, culminating in an enduring ceasefire with US-backed assurances that Israel would withdraw its troops from Gaza.

Hamas, for its part, saida delegation was heading to Cairo for continued talks on Saturday with a “positive spirit” and determination to “secure an agreement in a …