By John Sparks, international correspondent

A week that started with cautious optimism for a breakthrough in negotiations between Israel and Hamas has ended, perhaps unsurprisingly, with the prospect of peace in Gaza looking as distant as ever.

It has taken two days of talks in Cairo, with a delegation from Hamas – and intermediaries from Egypt, Qatar and the United States – to expose the limitations of this exercise.  

There were indications in the lead-up to these talks that the parties had things to usefully discuss – even areas where they could reach agreement.

Israel was apparently open to a six-week cessation in hostilities in exchange for the release of some 30 Israel hostages by Hamas.

Several hundred Palestinian prisoners currently sitting in Israeli jails would also have been released as part of the deal. 

That was something the US secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, described as “extremely generous”. 

The head of Hamas’s political bureau, Mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, seemed engaged, stating that delegation members would be traveling to Cairo with “positive and flexible positions”. 

However, there was a fundamental flaw in all this. What follows a temporary ceasefire? What comes next? 

Hamas wants any truce to lead to a permanent ceasefire. The Israeli government is committed to the organisation’s total destruction. 

It is a contradiction that both sides, and all the intermediaries and concerned world leaders, would be hard-pushed to solve.

It seems there can’t be agreement in the short-term without an agreement down the track.

The Israeli prime minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, rounded on the issue in his first recorded comments on the talks. 

“While Israel showed willingness, Hamas remained entrenched in its extreme positions – and on top it – their demand that we withdraw all our forces from the Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas intact – the State of Israel cannot accept this.”

The threat of an Israeli incursion into Rafah, now packed with well over a million civilians, has hung over these discussions with many regarding it as a negotiation technique.

Yet if Netanyahu is committed to the destruction of Hamas, as he says he is, his forces are likely to invade Rafah anyway. The Israeli minister of defence, Yoav Gallant, suggested today that it could happen imminently. 

All in all, it proves the limits of a negotiation between two sides who are deeply committed to the undoing of each other.

The likely consequences seem desperately predictable.

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Qualifier Jak Jones will have to battle back from 7-1 down as Kyren Wilson made a dominant start to a surprise World Snooker Championship final.

The opening session of the best-of-35 Crucible Theatre showpiece, held over two days, was controlled from start to finish by Wilson, opening with a superb 129 and scoring freely throughout with a nervy Jones unable to find his flow. With some unchacteristically loose safety play from the Welshman affording him regularly opportunities to build breaks, Wilson showed off his clean cueing to take the first seven frames of the match before Jones at last got on the board in the final frame of the afternoon session.

Unheralded Jones, who beat former world champion Stuart Bingham 17-12 in last night’s semi-final, entered as the underdog but has shown his talents in also beating Judd Trump in this tournament. The 30-year-old made his Crucible debut only last year and has shaken off doubts over his former on his storming run to the final, where he will look to join the illustrious board of former champions.

Wilson, meanwhile, has appeared in the World Snooker Championship final before but this will be a different experience to his heavy 2020 final defeat to Ronnie O’Sullivan, which was played in front of a one-third full arena due to Covid restrictions. Wilson defeat David Gilbert in the other semi-final and the 32-year-old Englishman is edging closer to ending his major title drought after showing plenty of potential earlier in his career.

Follow all the action from the World Snooker Championship below, and get the latest predictions and odds here:

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Ronnie O’Sullivan casts doubt over playing future tournaments in Britain: ‘There’s a tax to be paid’

And Ronnie O’Sullivan’s comments have only further shown the direction of travel.

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 17:20

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A break from tradition? How does snooker’s future look and what’s on the table

Among the storylines that have dominated this year’s World Championship has been the continuing chatter over the sport’s future. Here’s a look at what might be on the table:

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 17:00

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World Championship finalist Jak Jones hits out at ‘pathetic’ complaints over style of play

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 16:40

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Kyren Wilson 7-1 Jak Jones

A reminder that they will be back at 7pm BST tonight for eight more frames.

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 16:20

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Kyren Wilson 7-1 Jak Jones

Pure dominance from Kyren Wilson so far, making Jak Jones pay for his errors with the Welshman seemingly overawed a touch by the occasion. From an opening 129 that showcased his shot-making skill, Wilson has been in total control.

How does Jak Jones use the time between sessions? He elected not to make a trip to the practice area at the mid-session interval, which inufriated Steve Davis in the BBC studio. A quick nap and then some time on the table? He’ll need at least five frames tonight, you’d say, to remain in touch.

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 16:03

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Kyren Wilson 7-1 Jak Jones

A moment of fun at the end of the frame as Kyren Wilson snookers himself on the black he needs to keep his chances alive, Wilson requesting the blocking red be cleaned and then feigning to play the shot.

But Jak Jones is on the board! Finally a frame falls his way, the two players sharing a friendly handshake as their make their exit.

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 15:53

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Kyren Wilson 7-0 Jak Jones

Interesting – three snookers required but Kyren Wilson still comes to the table. Surely not…

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 15:50

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Kyren Wilson 7-0 Jak Jones

A fist pump from Jak Jones as he cuts in frame ball to whoops and hollers. How he needed this frame to give him some semblance of hope ahead of tonight’s session!

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 15:49

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Kyren Wilson 7-0 Jak Jones

Jones understandably takes his time moving from shot to shot, the worries and woe of the situation he’s in readily apparent on his face as he treads the table. It’s looking good for a first frame of the match, though, into the forties with five reds left on the baize. Still a bit of work to be done.

Eek – too much action on the cue ball and he’s overrun the most pottable of the quintet! Can he salvage it? Yes! A fine recovery.

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 15:46

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Kyren Wilson 7-0 Jak Jones

Gasps of disbelief from the spectators as Kyren Wilson errs on his third red. An opportunity for Jak Jones to take something into tonight.

He splits the pack as soon as possible. A friendly enough spread of reds should intrigue him.

Harry Latham-Coyle5 May 2024 15:42