i'm rajini vaidyanathan in london. also coming up... sir keir starmer arrives in ukraine — the british pm is there to sign a partnership deal to deepen security ties. the uk's economy grew by 0.1% in november, the first time in three months. chancellor rachel reeves says she will �*fight every day�* to deliver economic growth. the indian film star saif ali khan is in hospital, being treated for multiple stab wounds after an intruder broke into his home. reports say he's stable. five, for... the blue origin's new glenn rocket has launched from cape canaveral on its delayed inauguralflight.

hello, i'm mark lowen at hostage square in tel aviv — where the deal between israel and hamas is at the forefront of everybody�*s minds. it's raised hopes of an end to 15 months of war in gaza. the hostages were abducted on the 7th of october 2023 and a hamas attack on israel that killed 1200 people here and lead to 250 being taken hostage. the worst attack on israel's history that prompted a massive israeli retaliation which now it is hoped will end with the ceasefire deal was struck between the two parties

mediated by qatar, egypt and the us and announced last night and the qatari capital doha. it is a ceasefire deal that will be permitted in three stages. the first part is due to come into effect on sunday. 33 hostages will be released. in return for the release of hundreds of palestinian prisoners from israeli jails. even before the ceasefire has come into effect on sunday, there are already obstacles. there has in the last half hour plane statement from the office of the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. to read at you. it says, unless my reneges on the agreement and creates a last—minute crisis. hamas has managed parts of the agreement and i'm about to extort last—minute concessions. the israeli cabinet, convene until

hamas accepts a part of the agreements. a reference to the fact that israel's security cabinet and wider cabinet will have to convene. it was due to begin this morning to approve the deal but that has now been delayed because of this disagreement over some parts of the ceasefire deal. we are not there yet even of the ceasefire deal was agreed. it has hit a few final snags. it has to get through the security cabinet and then wants israel releases the names of some of the prisoners to be released that could be subject to appeal but thatis could be subject to appeal but that is not expected to hold up the agreement. our international editor — jeremy bowen — has more. 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. some weapons, some defiance were on show, but hamas is a shadow of what it was when it attacked israel on the 7th of october, 2023. 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. i really wait for this very, very needed thing to happen, for the war to stop, for the hostages to come home. 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. there's 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. with gaza in ruins, the president's point, 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. let mejust explain

let me just explain to you where we are once again. this is a square with census out of october has become the focal point of israel's efforts to bring back the hostages. you can see here high on names of the hostages who are still being held in gaza, in many cases the ages have had to be updated as they have remained in captivity in gaza for 15 knots. if we go through the square which is in the heart of tel aviv, it has been the site of protests and encampments. you can see here this is a simulation of one of the hamas tunnels in gaza. hamas has built hundreds of kilometres of tunnels in which they have smuggled weapons and supplies and held it is believed some of the hostages. then you can save over here to see is where some of the release and protests have been held over the last 15 months. there have been

symbolic protest for example with the dinner table set up with the dinner table set up with one empty chair representing all of the hostages who have been helped by hamas. the hope among many is that some of this intense pain that israelis have been feeling over the last 15 months will begin to be alleviated. and of course the pain and trauma of palestinians in gaza that could begin to lessen as they would be allowed potentially to return home to what remains of their shattered lives. joining me now is dr karin von hippel — distinguished fellow at the royal united services institute. she was the organisation's director general. thank you for being with us. i wonder if you have heard of this latest snag in the ceasefire talks, that the israelis are accusing hamas of reneging on part of the deal. what do you make of that and how common do you think it is

in these kinds of extremely tense negotiations for obstacles to come at the 59th minute of the 11th hour? i “ust heard it right i minute of the 11th hour? i “ust heard it right before i minute of the 11th hour? i “ust heard it right before the h minute of the 11th hour? ijust| heard it right before the show. the cabinet is supposed to approve of it today in israel. there will be immense pressure for them to approve. thanks for the first time a long time by purchasing us pressure as well as many other sides and partners in the region, europeans and others. i hope that type of pressure pushes them over the line and then the ceasefire would start on sunday. but these conversations are incredibly fraught and we have been there before many times and it is voluntary. everyone is very nervous about it but hopeful that this time it but hopeful that this time it will get over the line. what is our it will get over the line. what is your sense _ it will get over the line. what is your sense of _ it will get over the line. what is your sense of what - it will get over the line. what | is your sense of what changed between may when the terms of the ceasefire were set out by

joe biden and the doubt part of the fact that i doubted more people have died in gaza in the meantime? it people have died in gaza in the meantime?— meantime? it is an enormous traced meantime? it is an enormous tragedy that _ meantime? it is an enormous tragedy that the _ meantime? it is an enormous tragedy that the very - meantime? it is an enormous tragedy that the very similar. tragedy that the very similar deal has been agreed right now. for the first time we have seen bipartisan action by the us. if the two parties had come together, the trump campaign and biden government last may, and biden government last may, and set aside their political differences and politicking that pressure could have pushed them to come to a deal back then. that is a tragedy. iran has been significantly weakened and hezbollah is no longer the back—up faucet was for the region, and hamas have been destroyed significantly. it doesn't have a supporters in the region two: to the same degree at all as before. several other factors have changed in the environment but the whole thing has been an

incredible tragedy and it needs to end sooner rather than later. ., ~ to end sooner rather than later. . ~ , ., ., to end sooner rather than later. . ~ ., later. thank you for your thoughts- _ later. thank you for your thoughts. on _ later. thank you for your thoughts. on the - later. thank you for your - thoughts. on the significance of the deal and the hiccup we are seeing this morning and alaska powerfrom are seeing this morning and alaska power from the are seeing this morning and alaska powerfrom the israeli prime minister's office declaring hamas is trying to renege on it. our garret —— gaza correspondent is watching very closely. what are your contacts saying on this news? i just got a message from a senior hamas leader in doha, who called me and said we are committed to the ceasefire and what is agreed in the ceasefire and what is announced by the mediators. when i asked him about this he said that is all lies. he denied hamas is trying

to make anything in the end. last night i was talking to another hamas source and they were hoping to include one or two names, significant names from the people who served time in the prison, especially two of the former hamas military commanders in the west bank but in the israeli prison unless mike was hoping to release because they want to fix their popularity. they have lost a great deal of its popularity, unless mike, because many people into gaza and outsized postings are equally accusing hamas of what is happening for the last 15 months, not all palestinians are in favour of the 7th of october attack, but what we are getting from doha this morning is that hamas confirmed they are committed to the ceasefire terms and what

they announced by the mediators, that is what she told the bbc this morning. we will have to — told the bbc this morning. we will have to see what the israelis make of that and whether it can be ironed out in time for the cabinet here in israel to give it its approval. apologies for the background noise. building work has started the next was. just explain the humanitarian owners of this deal and what has been agreed to providing much—needed supplies on the ground? i agreed to providing much-needed supplies on the ground?— supplies on the ground? i think it is still very _ supplies on the ground? i think it is still very early _ supplies on the ground? i think it is still very early to _ supplies on the ground? i think it is still very early to judge - it is still very early to judge how the logistic situations will go on, the rafah crossing, the place that is supposed to be open very soon to allow hundreds of trucks into gaza, we have seen about 150 trucks were allowed from the rafah crossing for the first time yesterday but we have to wait and see what is agreed on the

deal, it is called a humanitarian protocol, to allow 600 trucks every day into gaza including 50 fuel tanks and also to allow hundreds of patients and six people and people who were injured during the 15 month war to be out of gaza for medical treatment. to do this they need to start preparing the terminal, the crossing itself which has been significantly damaged by the israeli aggression in the rafah, but this is a humanitarian protocol and most of all, after one week, hundreds of thousands of people would be allowed back into their 40s remaining of their destroyed homes in the north of gaza, where israel insisted they had to be security checked because they wanted to make sure that you hamas or other bulletins are allowed into the north so the mediators, qatari

and egyptian teams are due to arrive as soon as the ceasefire goes into effect, to both earn a place mechanism to check the people first and then in two weeks, cars will be allowed and i hope they can process as much as 4000 cars every day to be able to go from south to the north. . ~ i. ., , ., north. thank you. that is a reminder— north. thank you. that is a reminder of— north. thank you. that is a reminder of what - north. thank you. that is a reminder of what this - north. thank you. that is aj reminder of what this story n