it will see the gradual release of hostages, as well as palestinian detainees. the agreement takes effect on sunday — just a day before donald trump is sworn in as us president for the second time. and both he and joe biden are claiming credit for the deal. the ceasefire is just phase one of the agreement. president biden said phase two would be the permanent end to the war. the gulf nation of qatar has hosted negotiations throughout the war, and it was the qatari prime minister who confirmed the ceasefire agreement. here's a little of that statement. translation: it gives us great pleasure in qatar, l egypt and the united states to announce the success of the joint mediation efforts and the fact that the two belligerents in the gaza strip

have reached a deal on the prisoner and the hostage swap, and announced a ceasefire in the hopes of reaching a permanent ceasefire between the two sides, as well as allowing the access of large quantities of relief aid to the palestinian brothers in the gaza strip. first off, i would like to thank our partners in the arab republic of egypt, the united states of america. notably, the envoy to the middle east of the president elect, steve witkoff, as well as the mena coordinator at the us national security council, mr brett mcgurk, for their efforts that contributed to push these negotiations forward and reach this deal. i would also like to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to our brothers from the arab republic of egypt and his excellency, the minister, hasan rashad, who have contributed and made serious efforts in collaboration with their qatari partners in order to make this deal a success.

with the approval of both sides and the negotiators on this deal, in order to finalise all executive measures for tonight, and after that, we will be taking all the internal measures. apologies, the israeli government will be taking the internal measures, after which the agreement will enter into effect on sunday, january 19th. that was the qatari prime minister outlining the momentous news that there had been a agreement. speaking shortly after the qatari prime minister — us presidentjoe biden hailed the agreement as a chance for a new future across the middle east. this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented for the most part by the next administration. in these past few days, we've been speaking as one team. this has been a time of real turmoil in the middle east.

but as i prepare to leave office, ourfriends are strong, our enemies are weak, and there is a genuine opportunity for a new future. in lebanon, there is an opportunity for a future free from the grip of hezbollah. in syria, a future free from the tyranny of assad and for the palestinian people, a credible, a credible pathway to a state of their own. and for the region, a future of normalisation and integration of israel and all its arab neighbours, including saudi arabia. presidentjoe biden there in the white house, welcoming that agreement. for more on that, jonah fisher is injerusalem for us. it's quite a complicated agreement, three phases, talk us to the bones of it and how it's going to pan out and work, if it does pan out.— if it does pan out. yeah, it's a complicated _

if it does pan out. yeah, it's a complicated agreement i if it does pan out. yeah, it's a complicated agreement in j a complicated agreement in three phases and only really the first phase has been properly spelled out. all the rest of it has been left for further discussions. the first phaseis further discussions. the first phase is due to last 42 days, it's due to start on sunday. it will begin with the cessation of hostilities and there will be a hostage release of three female israelis, women, on that day we believe, and trucks of aid and fuel will be allowed to go in. and then through a —— throughout the 42 day period, every time where hostages are released, the israeli side will released, the israeli side will release dozens of palestinian prisoners from prisons here in israel. at the same time as the there will be a phased withdrawal of israeli troops from the populated, densely populated parts of the gaza strip, pulling them back to the eastern side, the buffer zone, if you like, along the border with israel. but those are the

basic contours of it, but it's basically a whole series of reciprocal moves which will have to take place during that 42 today. and in the middle of it, talks are due to resume to cover the more complicated stuff, the really important stuff, the really important stuff, talking about the future of gaza as a whole. will israel cosmic military still have a there, is it a permanent cease—fire, all those kinds of questions. they will only come later in the proceedings. at the moment it's really a relatively... well, complicatedly sequenced agreement to have a cease—fire in return for those hostages being returned.— being returned. yeah, it is promulgated. _ being returned. yeah, it is promulgated. and - being returned. yeah, it is promulgated. and tell - being returned. yeah, it is promulgated. and tell us i being returned. yeah, it is| promulgated. and tell us a little about the reaction in israel. i'mjust little about the reaction in israel. i'm just hearing that the finance minister, the hard right finance minister mr smoak rich has said it is a deal that is dangerous for israel's

security. is dangerous for israel's security-— is dangerous for israel's securi . ,, ., . security. -- smotrich. there are several— security. -- smotrich. there are several ultranationalist l are several ultranationalist members of his cabinet better in the last few days saying, have been making it very clear in fact that they don't like this deal, they see it as dangerous, a catastrophe for israel's national security. the question, really, is what are they going to do about it? it's likely to be discussed in the israeli government meeting tomorrow. basically, these far right ministers don't have the numbers to vote it down or to block it and that cabinet meeting. they could decide that this is such a big issue for them that they want to leave government, quit government and try to bring mr netanyahu's administration down, but that would be a very big step to take. it would throw israel into something approaching political turmoil, and i think at the moment, the sense is that perhaps these men having

articulated their very strong reservations about this deal may be prepared to, with great reservation, hold their nose, turn the other way, allow the agreement to go through and then see how it pans out. fix, lat then see how it pans out. a lot of israelis _ then see how it pans out. a lot of israelis could _ then see how it pans out. a lot of israelis could be _ then see how it pans out. a lot of israelis could be forgiven . of israelis could be forgiven for being a bit confused, because as joe for being a bit confused, because asjoe biden was saying, this was a deal that was on offer from saying, this was a deal that was on offerfrom him, or set out by him, almost in precisely the terms we've seen today, way backin the terms we've seen today, way back in may, about eight months ago. mr netanyahu has been resisting it all along, but has suddenly agreed to it. just on the eve of the donald trump presidency. the eve of the donald trump presidency-— the eve of the donald trump presidency. well, that's right. drafts of this _ presidency. well, that's right. drafts of this have _ presidency. well, that's right. drafts of this have been - drafts of this have been circulating for a very long time. we don't think the final agreement actually differs very much from those drafts which have been circulated. i think what has changed is the broader dynamics, both in terms of politics in the united states, we now have donald trump coming into office, a man who has made it pretty clear that he wants a

hostage deal to be done before his inauguration next week, that has been one factor providing impetus for this process, that has really driven negotiations to come to some sort of deal before the start of next week. and there is also, no doubt, the regional dynamics have changed as well. hamas have obviously been massively degraded as a military force, we've had hezbollah, also being badly beaten by israel in southern lebanon. so there is that broader sense, lebanon. so there is that broadersense, i lebanon. so there is that broader sense, i think, lebanon. so there is that broader sense, ithink, that the dynamics have changed which may be coupled to the changes in the united states that we are about to see that has made this deal possible.— this deal possible. jonah, thank you _ this deal possible. jonah, thank you very _ this deal possible. jonah, thank you very much - this deal possible. jonah, i thank you very much indeed. good to see you there, jonah fisher our correspondent in jerusalem.

thanks very much for coming up. i can ask you first of all, as we werejust hearing i can ask you first of all, as we were just hearing her from our correspondent, this is a deal is essentially that was laid out by presidentjoe biden way back in may. why has it taken benjamin netanyahu so many months to agree to it and to the release of the hostages? so that's the propaganda line which unfortunately the bbc are taking tonight. from our point of view, this is, this deal has not yet been agreed by hamas, is not yet clear whether the strong insistence of our prime minister, whether hamas have changed their mind on some last—minute demands they've made about the deployment of the idf forces on the philadelphia corridor, so crucial to stopping arms smuggling, and there are some other issues that are still under that assertion tonight, but we hope that they will indeed be finalised tonight.

so, sorry, when the qatari prime minister announces there is a deal, is he wrong? i’m is a deal, is he wrong? i'm sa in: is a deal, is he wrong? i'm saying that _ is a deal, is he wrong? i'm saying that at _ is a deal, is he wrong? i'm saying that at this - is a deal, is he wrong? in saying that at this moment, hamas have yet to agree to the final deal. when that happens, and we hope it does happen tonight, then there will be agreement. this is of course the middle east where the most frantic time for this agreement normally happens at the very last moment, but from our point of view, this agreement to release our hostages, it certainly demonstrate israel's strength and humanity, and our unwavering commitment to our own citizens and it comes at a time when hamas are at their weakest, hamas, israel has achieved significant strategic victories against those who threaten our country with destruction, together with iran, their patent.- iran, their patent. sorry, ou're iran, their patent. sorry, you're saying _ iran, their patent. sorry, you're saying hamas - iran, their patent. sorry, you're saying hamas has| iran, their patent. sorry, - you're saying hamas has not agreed to it, has israel agreed to it? , ., to it? the israeli government, its cabinet _

to it? the israeli government, its cabinet will _ to it? the israeli government, its cabinet will make - to it? the israeli government, its cabinet will make a - to it? the israeli government, its cabinet will make a final i its cabinet will make a final decision tomorrow and after that the full government. but the government has made clear in the prime ministers made this clear that we want this to succeed. we want to get our people home. there are 98 of our people, many of them still alive. we are desperate to get those people back to their families and to give the murdered a decent burial which they deserve. it murdered a decent burial which they deserve-— they deserve. if you are desperate, _ they deserve. if you are desperate, why - they deserve. if you are desperate, why didn't l they deserve. if you are l desperate, why didn't you they deserve. if you are - desperate, why didn't you agree to this months ago? that's the question. and the perception is, and correct me if this is wrong, is that donald trump, the next president of the united states, has pushed benjamin netanyahu into this. and is it a coincidence that this agreement starts literally one day before donald trump is sworn in as the next president? so, ben, the reason this hasn't happened until now is the one word which the bbc won't utter — terrorism. hamas is a terrorist organisation. they

murdered families in their homes. �* , ., , homes. but the question is, does donald _ homes. but the question is, does donald trump... - homes. but the question is, | does donald trump... that's homes. but the question is, - does donald trump... that's the oint, does donald trump... that's the point. ben- _ does donald trump... that's the point, ben. the _ does donald trump... that's the point, ben. the donald - does donald trump... that's the point, ben. the donald trump . point, ben. the donald trump ush point, ben. the donald trump push your— point, ben. the donald trump push your president _ point, ben. the donald trump push your president into - point, ben. the donald trump push your president into this | push your president into this agreement?— push your president into this agreement? what a ridiculous line of questioning. _ agreement? what a ridiculous line of questioning. i've - agreement? what a ridiculous line of questioning. i've heard j line of questioning. i've heard some ridiculous lines coming out but this taste the biscuit. hamas has been vastly compromised, their operational ability shattered, they are no longer the force they once were, and iran, the driving force behind hamas, has been dealt severe blows. its nuclear ambitions have been set back, his ballistic missile productions have been disrupted, its proxies in hezbollah and houthis, and iraqi militias have also been deterred or neutralised. the iranian axis of terror which tried to wipe this country off the face of the has been

degraded and now hamas is not just israel's enemy, but they are the enemy of the gazan people, they shall not. they've used ordinary gazans as human shields, deliberately maximised the number of civilian casualties to fuel their own propaganda. they steal humanitarian aid, provoke a famine within gaza... by stealing food and selling it back to starving families. {30 back to starving families. go ahead. my question was about donald trump. you don't like my questions but let me put to use something that your own government's finance minister, mr smotrich has said, and he may 1522 00:13:39,