'Ceasefire joy' and 'chaos in hospital corridors'
- Published
There is "hope" that the end of a "dark chapter" is near, reports the Guardian, with the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. The paper says "exhausted Palestinians hardly dare to believe" the news, with pictures of the celebrations in Deir al-Balah, in Gaza, dominating the front page.
There is "ceasefire joy on both sides", according to the front page of the Times, with pictures of those celebrating the announcement in both Gaza and the Israeli city of Tel Aviv. The deal, which the paper says was "held up by last minute arguments" over the extent of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, "will come into force on Sunday".
But, the Financial Times adds, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the "deal [is] not sealed", with some details still needing to be finalised. The paper says the "multiphase agreement" will see a truce in hostilities, the release of some Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the release of some Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
And while an agreement offers "hope for an end to the bloodiest round of fighting in [the] history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict", an opinion piece in the i says "seeds of new conflicts have been sown".
The Daily Express features the testimony of "heartbroken nurses", who describe "harrowing scenes of dying patients being crammed into hospital corridors". The paper leads on a new report, compiled by the Royal College of Nursing, which it says "lays bare the scale of the crisis gripping the NHS", with one nurse saying working in a hospital was "like watching a horrid film I can't stop".
The report "lays bare [the] shocking reality of 'inhumane' hospital conditions", the Daily Mail adds. It says "dead patients are lying undiscovered for hours in A&E because NHS staff are too overstretched to notice", and a shortage of beds means patients are being left "in 'animal-like' conditions in hospital car parks, cupboards and toilets".
This "chaos in hospital corridors" is a result of "ten years of health service cuts", according to the Daily Mirror. It features an image of patients "lining a corridor" of a hospital in Blackburn last week. The paper quotes the head of the Royal College of Nursing as saying: "I have no doubt this is costing lives." There's also a tribute to singer Linda Nolan, whose death was announced on Wednesday, with the paper saying she was "with her sisters to the end".
The Metro leads on what it calls "a double injustice", revealing that Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit, "has still not received compensation". Helen Pitcher, the head of the Criminal Cases Review Commission "which twice refused his bid to appeal" his conviction, resigned on Tuesday. Malkinson said that decision had made him "feel vindicated", the paper reports.
There are "mounting questions" for the attorney general, according to Thursday's Daily Telegraph, over his links to former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, and his role in a decision that could see him receive "taxpayer-funded payouts" over a stint in jail. Lord Hermer has "defended his right to have represented" Adams in the past, the paper says, but "refused to say whether he was involved in the compensation decision".
The Sun leads with its investigation in which it claims a rapper who "is promoted by the BBC" is the murderer of schoolboy Jimmy Mizen. It says rapper TEN is Jake Fahri, who was sentenced to life in jail in 2009, and told he would serve at least 14 years for the crime. TEN's music "which glorifies knife deaths, has recently been showcased on BBC Radio 1Xtra", the paper says.
And the Daily Star says it has "the answer to the question you didn't realise you needed to know" - the best way to eat a Cadbury Creme Egg. The paper jokes the discovery took "years and years of soul-searching and fevered debate... more like three minutes of idle chat on the newsdesk to be perfectly honest".
The Guardian's lead is: "Hope of end to dark chapter, with Israel-Hamas ceasefire", external. There is a photo of jubilant crowds in Gaza, some making peace signs. One Palestinian is quoted saying it is the best day of his life, and people in his neighbourhood are crying with joy - although he also suggests many do not believe the war will actually end.
On its front page, the Daily Telegraph has a picture of campaigners hugging at a rally held by relatives of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv. "Hope for hostage families as ceasefire agreed", external is the headline, but an opinion column inside the paper strikes a less optimistic tone. It describes the deal as "a complex and fragile one, full of tripwires and minefields that have yet to be navigated"., external
The i, external concludes that the "slaughter" may be over, but the Middle East will never be the same. In an analysis piece, it argues that what it calls "the legacy of hatred" left by the conflict will shape attitudes across the region for decades to come.
The online edition of the Israeli paper Haaretz voices criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It accuses him of "trying to erase a disturbing truth", external that the deal could have been reached months ago. The website of the Palestinian publication Al-Quds focuses on the lingering psychological harm caused by the conflict. It concludes that "intensive efforts" will be required for Gazans to heal "societal wounds"., external
People in Israel and Gaza celebrated the news on Wednesday that a ceasefire deal had been agreed
The Daily Mail leads on the new report from the Royal College of Nursing warning that patients' lives are being put at risk, external at some UK hospitals because they are being treated in corridors due to a lack of beds. The headline describes it as "the shame and horror of NHS corridor care" and calls the report a "devastating 460-page dossier".
"NHS decay has to end" says the Daily Mirror, external in an opinion piece. It argues that the testimonies of nurses included in the document paint what it calls "a grim picture of a health service that is all but broken". But it says "the dedication of these front-line staff cannot be faulted". The Daily Express, external uses a quote from one nurse as its front page headline: "Like watching a horror film I can't stop".
The Times has the headline: "One giant leap for heritage risk list", external. It reports that the World Monuments Fund has published its latest list of endangered heritage sites, and these now include locations on the moon. The paper explains that there are around ninety "important historic sites" where hundreds of artefacts lie strewn across the lunar surface.
Finally, the Sun is one of several papers to focus on the Prince of Wales's visit to a pub in Birmingham, external. William was there to meet Aston Villa fans ahead of the side's 1-0 victory over Everton last night.
One fan is quoted as saying he was "amazed at how engaged he is with the club", going on to say the prince is "not a fair-weather fan". The paper highlights the fact that the meeting took place at a Wetherspoons with the headline: "Wills goes to Spoons...silver spoons that is".
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