put in preparations have been put in place to receive them. and after that, as you are saying, we will see that release of 90 orso we will see that release of 90 or so palestinian prisoners today. this is something that the deal has on a repeat, isn't it? three phases, but this first phase, this first six weeks, 42 days, there is a lot of movement like this to come if all goes well.— if all goes well. yes, three every saturday _ if all goes well. yes, three every saturday for - if all goes well. yes, three every saturday for the - if all goes well. yes, three | every saturday for the next several weeks and then perhaps on the last saturday at what he supposed to be the end of this first phase, the remaining living women and children, elderly, will be released. and then that will. .. elderly, will be released. and then that will... that elderly, will be released. and then that will. .. that the negotiations, which are certain to be very difficult, far more difficult than for this first phase, 16 days into this process the negotiations will

begin on that second phase where they will discuss the freeing of that male soldiers. hamas, this terrible trade, human lives, they will be demanding a higher number of prisoners. it is horrible to be able to see it, but such is the nature of this merciless war. palestinians describe the people in prison, there are people in prison, there are people in prison being described as hostages as well. there is a price in this process. in that second phase, it will be the male soldiers. and we have been hearing that of those holding their breath it is the people who know, who's that male relatives who are soldiers or who are younger, they know they will not be released in this first phase, they share the joy of the families of those who will be released. it is this coming together of all their families, sharing in thejoys, even together of all their families, sharing in the joys, even those who have lost their loved ones

rejoice when they see someone else's relatives, sister, daughter, grandfather, becoming home because they somehow feel that that is something for them as well, even though their own relative did not survive this ordeal. and so today, there will be rejoicing among all the hostage families, even those who are hoping against hope that this moves to the second phase and that there is a chance in the second phase, after those first 42 days, if all goes smoothly, that there will be the beginning of the process that they too can have an evening like this where they are within literally touching distance of embracing their loved ones again. it is something that they have come every day they have lived this nightmare of never knowing, and they still do not know whether their loved ones will finally come home alive. we were talkin: come home alive. we were talking here _ come home alive. we were talking here in _ come home alive. we were talking here in the - come home alive. we were talking here in the square i come home alive. we were l talking here in the square to exactly one of those mums, her

son is a soldier, he was based in areas that day and she was saying that she has heard nothing, nothing at all. she does not know if he is alive, if he has been killed in captivity. at something she said was really interesting, she was absolutely sharing those sentiments that you described. thejoy those sentiments that you described. the joy for fellow hostage families, people who have been bound together by these most traumatic circumstances, who have gained in strength and support from each other. she was saying she was worried about the fewer hostages that are still being held, she was concerned the attention it would be drawn away, international pressure it would be drawn away as those numbers of hostages being held in gaza dwindled. that has been a big part of this. that is why hostage families have talked about their ordeal, that is why they have been so keen to put their pictures and images of their pictures and images of their loved ones in the public eye. they know that often it is international pressure that leads to break through like

this one. yes, they must be hoping tonight that in being part of this extraordinary moment... part of this extraordinary moment. . ._ part of this extraordinary moment... , ., moment... this roller coaster of a moment. _ moment... this roller coaster of a moment, that _ moment... this roller coaster of a moment, that the - moment... this roller coaster of a moment, that the nation | of a moment, that the nation will rally— of a moment, that the nation will rally and demand with even stronger— will rally and demand with even stronger voice that this process has to continue. that the hostages _ process has to continue. that the hostages must _ process has to continue. that the hostages must be - process has to continue. twat the hostages must be made the priority in it these efforts to try to end the war. we have seen even senior israeli generals in the israeli defense forces, even the defence minister who eventually was let 90, minister who eventually was let go, saying that we have achieved everything we can militarily and gaza, we must put the lives of the hostages first. and it is as you say, it has been at the families, not just gathering in hostages square, those marches that they have done, they were joined at one point by the trade unions, the largest trade union in israel, people coming together and raising their voice,

marching towardsjerusalem to the prime minister's residence. he has of course been saying that he has been putting the lives of the hostages first, that there were two war aims, to destroy hamas and to bring the hostages home. but there is so much bitterness and anger, as you have heard yourself, among the hostages families. they feel that they have been sacrificed will stop and that the lives of their loved ones have not been put first. and yes, there is this fear that once the women, children, the elderly come home, the most vulnerable hostages come home, that once it gets to the soldiers, the male soldiers, that interest will not be sustained. but there is a hope in this process that even though we hear about the risks, that once it starts, and it is clearly starting now in all its intensity, that there will be momentum and it will be very difficult to stop this process as it starts moving in this direction. and certainly we heard today from the qatari government spokesman, qatarand

government spokesman, qatar and egypt government spokesman, qatarand egypt are now going to play... they played a key role in the mediation which ought to this point, and they will now play a key role in the implementation of it, watching for the violations, getting people on the ground to improve the logistics. they are calling for international pressure, they are hoping that the new administration which takes charge tamara in the white house, that they will not stop at simply pushing this. and they played a big role in pushing it, president trump saying he wanted it done by the 20th. but they will have to be there at the table putting pressure on both sides to keep this process going. there are so many dangers along the way. people must be hoping against hope tonight that this will continue. palestinians want more prisoners to be released, there are many thousands who are languishing in israeli detention centres. this isjust the beginning. and just the beginning two, 97 hostages of

the more than 250 that were taken during those, that dreadful day of october seven. it is believed that possibly more than 30 art not alive, but right now the hope is that everyone who is alive can be brought home. we are about to see that very shortly, those pictures from the lights in the dark some of those helicopters, we heard from our correspondent saying that once those helicopters are in the air over at the hospital, that will be a confirmation that the hostages are there, they are going to be brought in for medical treatment. and once we see them leaving, lifting off, we will know, and we expect for there to be an announcement from an israeli government official that once they are safely on israeli soil, we understand they will be meeting the families first, that it will be announced. that emily damari, doron steinbrecher and romi gonen are now free, that the

first three are coming home. the international committee of the international committee of the red cross with their special responsibility for prisoners, they are the keepers of the geneva conventions of war. very discreet —— discreetly playing a crucial role in this very emotional process to ensure that nothing can go wrong. this can be —— this cannot be ruled out, it is a fragile process. but it is slowly... we will keep an eye on those pictures, and on the reaction where you are, there is clapping. figs reaction where you are, there is clapping-— reaction where you are, there is clapping. as you say, we are watchin: is clapping. as you say, we are watching those _ is clapping. as you say, we are watching those life _ is clapping. as you say, we are watching those life pictures, i watching those life pictures, we are expecting to see at some point does helicopters lifting off, making that relatively shortjourney off, making that relatively short journey to the off, making that relatively shortjourney to the hospital. when you talk about people's reactions, and you can hear those occasional spontaneous outbursts of clapping and cheering, just a small thing, just in front of me, i am

watching a couple and they have spent the last 15 minutes or so inflating these bright yellow balloons and attaching them together into this column that stretches it may be 15 feet into the sky. it looks very visually striking, among all of the yellow here, the yellow has been the colour of the hostages, people wear yellow ribbons. they wear yellow flags to the side of me. but to look at that column of balloons rising and the fact that they have sat here and done that now, itjust shows you it is almost like that collective loosening of the shoulders, a little... that little collective moment where it coll