Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday cancelled an agreement with the UN refugee agency aimed at avoiding forced deportations of thousands of African migrants only hours after having announced the deal himself.

The stunning turnaround after Netanyahu announced the accord in a televised address on Monday afternoon came as he faced mounting pressure from his right-wing base.

The UN refugee agency urged the PM to reconsider.

After the deluge of criticism, the premier said yesterday that the deal was being cancelled outright after having held discussions on it.