On 29 April senior Hamas representatives headed to Egypt for talks aimed at halting Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza. Although previous talks have yielded few results, both sides have expressed a willingness to pursue a ceasefire. A new Israeli proposal includes discussions on restoring calm and the release of Israeli captives, potentially in phases. Hamas has been urged by a number of countries, including the USA and the UK to accept this new proposal, but seems reluctant to do so. The talks have gained urgency amid Israeli threats of a ground assault on Rafah, which might be suspended if negotiations progress. For Benjamin Netanyahu, the problem is that if he concedes too much, he would face opposition not just from opposition parties but from some of his own ministers.