mediator

Cease-fire talks have all but fallen apart, and U.S. officials acknowledge none are taking place now, while Qatar, a key mediator, has withdrawn from the process.

Some faculty and students, for instance, want to eliminate police from campus entirely and use trained civilian mediators instead to address problems — using outside law enforcement to handle serious crimes.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach a ceasefire have stalled, with Qatar suspending its work as a mediator until Hamas and Israel "show their willingness" to negotiate.

In an average working day, Claudia Bowring has to play the role of detective, estate agent, family mediator and, occasionally, grief counsellor.

Israel and Hamas took turns at being the impediment to agreement, each at one time or another moving the goal post, mediators say.