welcome to newsday, i'm steve lai. after 15 months of war, many rounds of negotiations, israel and hamas have finally agreed to a ceasefire deal. it will take effect on sunday, and a permanent end to fighting will be negotiated if the first phase is successful. us presidentjoe biden praised the agreement, saying it brought 15 months of terror and suffering to an end. he first proposed the framework for the deal last may. here's some of what he had to say. phase one will allow six weeks. it includes a full and complete ceasefire, withdrawal

of israeli forces from all the populated areas of gaza, and, and the release of a number of hostages held by hamas, including women and elderly and the wounded. in exchange, israel will release hundreds of palestinian prisoners, and during phase one, the palestinians can also return to their neighbourhoods in all the areas of gaza. this agreement marks the start of a very long road to permanent ceasefire. our state department correspondent tom bateman explains. the reality of what happens next, though, the reality of what happens next, thou-h, is the reality of what happens next, though, the reality of what happens next, thou-h, is in the reality of what happens next, though, the reality of what happens next, thou-h, is in five the reality of what happens next, though, is in five days�* time, the biden administration hands over the policing of this and trying to guarantee the ceasefire to the trump administration and that will include the critical work of trying to get a phase ii of this agreement. that is a crucial point, a full end of the war, foolish crazy grateful israeli withdrawal from gaza and the release of hostages and prisoners. so the biden administration knows that he is just about to hand over all the rest of the work to team trump.

our international editorjeremy bowen reports on the deal and what it means for the region. in the streets of khan younis in gaza, overwhelming relief that they are alive, and hope, too, that the nightmare of this war might be over. translation: when they announced that there is a ceasefire, we felt happy and relieved. the pain has disappeared a bit, even though the pain is still present. but hopefully joy will overcome the pain. let our prisoners get freed and for the injured to get treated. people are exhausted. some weapons, some defiance were on show, but hamas is a shadow of what it was when it attacked israel on the seventh of october, 2023. and apart from survival, there isn't much to celebrate for palestinians in gaza. israel has killed almost 50,000 people at least. the territory's in ruins and well over 2 million have been forced out of their homes. and in tel aviv, it is also a bittersweet moment

for the families and supporters of israeli hostages, living and dead. 33 women, older men and the sick and wounded are due for release in the next six weeks in return for hundreds of palestinian detainees and prisoners. but the future of the rest of the hostages depends on more negotiations. we really hope that no one will mess it up. not in ourside, not in their side. and we really wait for this very, very needed thing to happen — for the war to stop, for the hostages to come home. israel's president said the ceasefire was right, important and necessary. translation: there is no greater moral, human, - jewish or israeli obligation than to bring our sons and daughters back to us, whether to recover at home or to be laid to rest. the war started on the 7th of october, 2023, with a devastating series of surprise attacks by hamas. it was one of the worst intelligence and security failures

in israel's history. a painful inquiry into who missed the signs it was coming, starting with the prime minister, lies ahead. 251 people were taken into gaza as hostages. hamas killed around 1,200, mostly israeli civilians, in their own homes. it took days to recover the bodies. israel responded by hammering gaza and its people, from then until today. it insists it respects the laws of war. it says hamas caused so many civilian casualties, wounded and dead, by using them as human shields. but israel's prime minister and former defence minister face arrest warrants for war crimes, and the international court ofjustice is investigating a case accusing israel of genocide. in washington, president biden took credit for a diplomatic victory, celebrated america's support for israel, and said the war had transformed

the middle east for the better. this has been time of real turmoil in the middle east, but as i prepare to leave office, ourfriends are strong, our enemies are weak, and there's genuine opportunities 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, credible pathway to a state of their own. thank you. reporter: who gets credit for this, mr president, - you ortrump? is that a joke? reporter: no. 0h. thank you. but donald trump's pressure on israel as well as hamas to seal the deal before his return to the white house next week might have made a decisive difference. joe biden put the pan on the table last may. with gaza in ruins,

the point from the president that the palestinians have a path to their own state — is wishful thinking. israel's government says security depends on military power, not allowing palestinian independence. after 15 months of war in gaza, the conflict which has lasted more than a century is as bitter and intractable as ever. with luck, the ceasefire will end this war, — it does not end the conflict. the consequences of so much destruction and death will be felt for a generation, at least. jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. former us ambassador to israel and senior fellow at the harvard belfer center, edward djerejian told me what he thought, got the deal across the line. after the public anger and the protests, in tel aviv deny, a private, shared relief. too

soon for celebrations. this deal too partial, too long coming to spark an explosion of joy. for 15 months, demonstrators here demanded the hostages' release. the names of israel's missing repeated like a mantra. their faces papering israel's walls. among them, five—year—old ariel and one—year—old kfir bibas and their parents. it's like a roller—coaster. i'm not breathing right now. we don't know if they're on the list, if they're going to come back in the first phase. if they're alive. if not... we actually don't know anything, so... ..it�*s scary. all living civilian women and children are due to be released over the next six weeks, along with elderly men and the sick. for now, soldiers and younger men will remain behind. you know, it's part of them,

not all of them, and for us, it's only the beginning. we want them all here, 0k? because it's not ended, it's not enough ifjust some of them will come. 251 hostages were ta ken to gaza by hamas gunmen during the seventh of october attacks. party—goers at a music festival. families asleep in their homes. and soldiers like nimrod cohen, abducted with his tank unit near the nahal 0z military base. he was 19—years—old. since then, his father, yehuda, has been campaigning for his release. he believes that nimrod, a young male soldier, will be one of the last to be freed. i'm done with emotion. that was the first month, the second month. i don't have time for emotion. i'm a fulljob in fighting. i can be the father of nimrod once nimrod is back here. now i'm fighting to be

the father of nimrod. i haven't talked to him for 15 months, seen him, heard him, 0k? somewhere in the dark, i say to him, i'm fighting to get back to being nimrod's father. yehuda watched as more than 100 hostages were freed in an earlier nine—day truce. that was over a year ago. since then, for many hostage families, hope has been frozen. now, for some, it's starting to thaw. lucy williamson, bbc news, tel aviv. at ennio's hotel and restaurant on the southampton quayside, apologies, that wasn't the clip to four senior fellow at harvard belfer centre. we we will now speak with amin saikal. this is his father gil

only starts on sunday. how fragile do you say it is? i think it is quite fragile because the second and third stages of the ceasefire have not been detailed and no timeframe has been really established for it so there is always the possibility of the ceasefire being violated and particularly from the israeli side. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has swallowed a bitter pill by accepting this ceasefire because he had originally planned to wipe out hamas altogether, within six months, and yet at the end he found it necessary to negotiate indirectly with hamas for a ceasefire.— indirectly with hamas for a ceasefire. . , , ceasefire. ceasefire between hamas and _ ceasefire. ceasefire between hamas and israel— ceasefire. ceasefire between hamas and israel have - ceasefire. ceasefire between hamas and israel have failed ceasefire. ceasefire between i hamas and israel have failed in the past. are you confident this one will be able to hold? i think the israeli leadership is under enormous domestic and international pressure to make sure to get the hostages back.

some of them of course may be dead and quite a number of them still alive. dead and quite a number of them stillalive. i dead and quite a number of them still alive. i think that is a positive outcome for prime minister netanyahu. but on the other hand, here is has the opportunity at the second stage of the ceasefire, when he is negotiating at that stage, to be basically create more obstacles and to possibly go back to make sure that hamas does not have a say in the future of gaza strip. and i think at the same time, i think, asjeremy bowen pointed out, hamas has become a shadow but nonetheless it has the capability to be able to put up resistance to the israeli is only a few days ago they managed to blow up three israeli soldiers and also their armoured vehicles so there is a

greater warfare going on and of course guerrilla warfare going on and hamas is able to conduct some of that under the pretext for israel to not implement the second stage and two of course the third stages of the agreement.— the third stages of the aareement. ., . ., , ., agreement. for the ceasefire to hold, both _ agreement. for the ceasefire to hold, both sides _ agreement. for the ceasefire to hold, both sides will— agreement. for the ceasefire to hold, both sides will need - agreement. for the ceasefire to hold, both sides will need to . hold, both sides will need to rein themselves in stop and for that to happen as well, who do you see or as part of this plan to be on the ground to make sure that ceasefire is carried out by both sides?— sure that ceasefire is carried out by both sides? well, the united states _ out by both sides? well, the united states and _ out by both sides? well, the united states and egypt - out by both sides? well, the united states and egypt and| united states and egypt and qatar and of course also i think turkey is now involved in order to monitor the process of the ceasefire but they are not really going to have any enforcement agencies in order to make sure that it is implemented on the ground. i think it is going to be very much at the behest of israel as well as hamas to respect the ceasefire and make sure that it is not violated by either side

but as you pointed out, in the past, the ceasefires have been violated and the conflict has been resumed. and i think that possibility always exists. find possibility always exists. and with biden — possibility always exists. and with biden leaving _ possibility always exists. and with biden leaving office, how do you assess the trump administration's appetite or enthusiasm, if you like, for ensuring there is lasting peace between gaza and israel? welcome at the president—elect trump has already announced his full commitment to the state of israel and he has assembled a middle east team which is incredibly pro israel and he will stand by whatever prime minister netanyahu is likely to do in terms of either enforcing the ceasefire or possibly disrupting the ceasefire but it is an enormous responsibility, now on the shoulders of the

trump administration, to ensure the implementation of this agreement and that is not really going to be easy at all but of course only time will tell. ., , but of course only time will tell. . , . but of course only time will tell. ., , . �* tell. thanks very much, amin saikal, professor— tell. thanks very much, amin saikal, professor of _ tell. thanks very much, amin saikal, professor of middle i saikal, professor of middle east and central islamic studies at the australian national university. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news.

you're live with bbc news. joe biden has given his final speech from the oval office, just days before the end of his term as president and after half a century in public office. in a wide ranging speech, president biden spoke of his legacy — including the israel—hama ceasefire deal — but also of his hopes for the future of the united states. after 50 years of public service, i give you my word, i still believe in the idea for which this nation stands. the nation where the strength of our institutions and the character out of our people matter and must endure.

now it's your turn to stand guard. may you will be the keeper of the flame. may you keep the faith. i love america. you love it too. earlier, i spoke to jonah blank, professor at the national university of singapore. he also worked as a staffer for joe biden when he was chairman of the senate foreign relations committee. he told me what he took away from biden�*s speech. i would say there were about, of a 17 minute speech, about five minutes they were really important. the beginning and the end were pretty standard. nothing that would surprise most people, but for five minutes, joe biden channelled another us president, ike eisenhower, and he mentioned specifically by name. this is where he gave warnings about the future. just as president eisenhower had warned of the military—industrial

complex, joe biden warned of what he termed the tech industrial complex. he referred to tech billionaires and referred by many specifically to robber barons of previous gilded age. he warned of the dangers of ai, if unguarded and unregulated, and the huge impact that these tech billionaires are having on the american and international world system. to my mind, that was the most important part of the speech. biden is a one term president but some significant global events have happened under his watch. what do you think he'll be most remembered for? well, i think thatjoe biden will initially be faced with some of the headwinds that presidentjimmy carter faced shortly after he left office, also as a one term president. and then in future years, in future decades, jimmy carter was

really re—evaluated. as we saw in his funeraljust recently, he's being seen now as a true moral stone for the nation. joe biden i think will be re—evaluated as well. right now he's in leaving office with a low approval rating and a public that is really angered by inflation above all, but i think that history will be a lot kinder to him in the american people are at this particular moment because as he himself put in his speech, a lot of the seeds that he has planted will take a number of years to grow. you mentioned the future might look on him a little more favourably than we do now perhaps. how much of his legacy do you think will be trump and his return to office? i think one of his greatest achievements was beating donald trump in

2020 which was a fundamentally important thing. i'm not sure that any other democratic candidate would have been able to beat donald trump in 2020 and if donald trump had had two terms — america would have been very different than it is today. now trump is coming back into office and it remains an open question, whether he's going to pick up where he left off and maybe do even more damage to american institutions. i think history's going to wrestle with whetherjoe biden should have gotten out of the 2024 race earlier. in los angeles, authorities say the current stretch of strong winds could be almost over, offering a potential reprieve to firefighters — after a week of battling the intense wildfires. fire crews though, are still working to contain major blazes. the la mayor has also said they are "not out of the woods yet" — adding that the santa ana winds could pick up next week. the palisades fire is now 19% contained, while the eaton fire

now 45% contained. despite the improved conditions, more than 6.5 million people remain under a criticalfire threat. and the need to provide food and shelter in los angeles amid the wildfires is only growing. for more, we can speak to troy vaughn, ceo, los angeles mission. it's a charity organisation that provides food, clothing and shelter for the homeless in la. troy, thank you forjoining me. tell us about the people you are trying to help. we tell us about the people you are trying to help.— tell us about the people you are trying to help. we are an utter devastation _ are trying to help. we are an utter devastation here. - utter devastation here. thousands of people have joined, already 70,000 men and women that are homeless and that angelino �*s that are homeless in los angeles right now so we have thousands more right here in los angeles. h0??? right here in los angeles. how is it ou right here in los angeles. how is it you are — right here in los angeles. how is it you are helping? - right here in los angeles. how is it you are helping? talk us through some of the things you are doing to make sure people have a roof over their heads.

we are providing housing vouchers, connecting people to resources in real time, we are standing up opportunities for them to get access to clothing, hygiene supplies, water, food, and other resources that are connecting to stability again by connecting them to facilities that may not have been impacted and facilitated by the fires but i hoping now to create opportunities for those schools to be re—engaged so students can go back to school. ~ ., so students can go back to school. ~ . , ., so students can go back to school. . , ., , ~ ., school. what should people know about getting _ school. what should people know about getting help _ school. what should people know about getting help from - about getting help from services in la? how difficult is itjust a normal things to carry on like banking, things like that, and having a roof over people's heads? yeah, it is disastrous. _ over people's heads? yeah, it is disastrous. we're _ over people's heads? yeah, it is disastrous. we're talking i is disastrous. we're talking about displacement at an unprecedented level here in los angeles. we're talking about when teachers lose their homes it is notjust about when teachers lose their homes it is not just about them, when teachers lose their homes it is notjust about them, it is about the whole classroom,

wildfires and the stability for the community that are surrounding it, the grocery stores, the banking, all the places that we take for granted here in our communities are gone and people are struggling right now to find their footing. right now to find their footing-— right now to find their footinu. �* , ., , footing. and tell us how this has impacted _ footing. and tell us how this has impacted the _ footing. and tell us how this has impacted the homeless | footing. and tell us how this i has impacted the homeless in la? it is quite a sizeable population and this must make things even more difficult and more challenging for them. yeah, in organisations that serve the homeless lake los angeles mission and we are having to be more created in terms that make creative in terms that make creative in terms of our resources and what we're doing is going into community and becoming a mission without laws and so the people don't have to come to us just to get the services. we are actually _ just to get the services. - are actually going to them, setting up a pop—up so people can get the services with dignity in real—time. can get the services with dignity in real-time. troy, tell us what _ dignity in real-time. troy, tell us what you _ dignity in real-time. troy, tell us what you need - dignity in real-time. troy, | tell us what you need right now. what would help you be able to carry out your objectives?—

able to carry out your objectives? able to carry out your ob'ectives? . , objectives? really, we need ra ers, objectives? really, we need prayers. we _ objectives? really, we need prayers, we need _ objectives? really, we need prayers, we need resources| prayers, we need resources individuals can give to relief at 34625, to help us to impact the fires, organisations can, corporations can give to the los angeles mission to really help us create the opportunities and resources that people need right now. we need volunteers was a people can come down and help volunteering our communities and be a part of what we're doing at our pop—up events and our service markets in those communities that have been mostly impacted. but really just seeing the unprecedented humanity of people now coming into our communities, really responding well, but we need more of it because it is not just about what is happening now stop this is about what is going to happen after.- going to happen after. troy, thanks going to happen afte