a very good evening and welcome to washington. president trump has been speaking in washington the day before his inauguration. let's take a listen to what he head to say. actually, i don't think we have that audio at the moment. we will bring it to you a little later in the programme. today, the long—awaited ceasefire in gaza has come into force. dsplaced palestinians are returning to homes that israel forced them to flee, while the first three hostages have returned to israel, after 15 months held captive by hamas. the released hostages have been confirmed as 31—year—old doron steinbrecher, dual british—israeli emily damari, 28, and 24—year—old romi gonen. in exchange, 90 palestinians have just been released from prisons in the israeli—occupied west bank. our international editor jeremy bowen takes us through all today's developments as, after 15 months of war,

the ceasefire in gaza begins. in gaza, a show of force by hamas as they handed the hostages over to the international red cross. in the white vehicles, doron steinbrecher, romi gonen and emily damari were starting their journey back to freedom. the men and guns were there to send a signal to israel and other palestinian factions that, whether they like it or not, hamas is still in charge in gaza. that sight will infuriate israelis. back safely in israel, british israeli emily damari. first, family reunions in the hospital in tel aviv. all three women were healthy enough to see the people they'd missed the most. this day has been a long time coming. at first light, thousands of palestinians in gaza began trying to walk home. this fragile ceasefire started almost three hours late.

with zero trust on either side, israel continued its attacks here in khan yunis as it waited for the names of the women being released. gaza civil defence, run by hamas, said 19 more palestinians were killed by israel during the delay. hamas joined the celebrations trying to claim some kind of victory. the israelis have destroyed the offensive power hamas used to attack them 15 months ago. but the americans say hamas has nearly as many new recruits as israel has killed. after so much bloodshed, celebratory gunfire did not make janah flinch. translation: may god have mercy on the oppressed and those - who have passed and pity on us who survived. and god willing, everyone will return home. this celebration in khan yunis was filmed by a trusted palestinian cameraman working for the bbc.

israel does not let internationaljournalists enter gaza to report freely. just over the border in israel is the site of the nova music festival, where hamas killed more than 380 people on the 7th of october and took a0 hostage. this weekend, with the ceasefire coming, many israelis made their own pilgrimages, moving quietly around the photos and memorials to those who were killed. a short distance away is another memorial. the festivalgoers' cars, hundreds of them destroyed in the attack. israelis here said they had wanted a deal in which all the hostages were swapped for palestinian prisoners at the same time. that's because they believed the war is going to resume. they said it was unavoidable while hamas still has armed men in gaza. they want to kill us.

they want to finish us. so what is the good questions? look, look, this is, this is the answer. this is what they want. can we live like this? no. a ceasefire, by definition, is a compromise between enemies. but since the october attacks, prime minister netanyahu has talked repeatedly about getting all the hostages back through total victory, the complete annihilation of hamas as a political and military force. but right now, that is not what the israeli people are being offered. they're worried, says israel's leading pollster, that this deal in phases over months, could break down before all the hostages are out. israelis know that things that happen in phases that are conditional upon one another are basically another way of the israeli government and the other side, hamas also, saying, we don't trust you. we're looking for, we're

looking to trip you up. we're looking to accuse you of breaking the deal so that we can break the deal. it's a mutual cycle that we've seen in every other phase deal in israeli history, and particularly with israeli—palestinian relations. tonight in the west bank, palestinians are waiting for the release of their prisoners. 90 in exchange for the three israelis. the next swap of prisoners and hostages is due on saturday. for palestinian and israeli families, this is a night for hope and relief, and some trepidation about what might lie ahead. jeremy bowen, bbc news, tel aviv. joining me now is the senior fellow at the carnegie endowment for international peace, aaron david miller. thank you very much for being with us. it got off to a rocky start this morning. the ceasefire was delayed three hours. but we have had three israeli hostages released. and

in the last hour, 90 palestinian prisoners freed from a west bank prison. as confidence grows and people start to have more faith in the process, do you think?- process, do you think? that's the hepe- _ process, do you think? that's the hepe- day _ process, do you think? that's the hope. day by _ process, do you think? that's the hope. day by day - process, do you think? that's the hope. day by day and - process, do you think? that's. the hope. day by day and week by week. i think we have to have extremely realistic expectations. this is not an agreement between the us and britain. it's not even an agreement to somehow finally reconcile adversaries. israel and egypt, israel and jordan. even between israel and the palestinian authority. this is an agreement between combatants who pledged to one another�*s destruction. there are no direct meetings. that is how to create confidence. neither hamas nor the government of

israel has the capacity or the will to go into phase two. the good news is 16 days after today, maybe 15 counting today, negotiations on phase two will begin. as long as the negotiations continue, this is fire will hold. so the expectation is... —— the ceasefire will hold. the return of hostages will compel the israeli government to seek the remaining hostages, the 65, assuming 33 are freed in phase one... including bodies, not live hostages. 65 israeli idf soldiers... but the pressures will mount, humanitarian... that is the logic of the agreements. whether that holds or not is going to depend on what the ceasefire and this negotiation...

inaudible. the calculations of benjamin netanyahu on one hand and brigade commanders speaking for the inside leadership of hamas. and what about donald trump? he has paid tribute tonight to the role his new envoy stephen wick of played in this. —— steve witkoff. they will have to get across the detail. the american hostages and might not be part of the first 33. hot hostages and might not be part of the first 33.— of the first 33. not only that, the foundation _ of the first 33. not only that, the foundation of _ of the first 33. not only that, the foundation of this - the foundation of this agreement was laid by months of diplomacy by the biden administration. there is no doubt that steve witkoff and the president's presence, his unpredictability, the fact benjamin netanyahu can't be certain what he would do, that help the agreement across the finishing line. this is on donald trump now, this is his agreement. for it to crater in the next several weeks as the

first foreign policy challenge of the administration... you have to wonder, how much currency, how much time, effort and energy will donald trump spend on trying to ensure it is implemented in full and it leads to phase two, which conceivably could mean the end of the war and some israeli withdrawal and a better future, security and prosperity for the people of gaza? we are a long way from that but it will be fascinating, perhaps tragic for the israelis and palestinians, to say whether or not trump can pick up the ball from biden. just watching jeremy's report there, i'm struck by the immense devastation in gaza. the un estimated in october that it would cost well over $1 billion to put it back together. it would take years. if you think back to how this operated before the conflict, the israelis have so much

control over building materials going into gaza, they way every ounce of concrete, it's a fiendishly complicated process. —— they weigh. you see these people screaming back. how long are they going to have to live amid all this rubble? i are they going to have to live amid all this rubble? i mean, i think you _ amid all this rubble? i mean, i think you broke _ amid all this rubble? i mean, i think you broke the _ amid all this rubble? i mean, i think you broke the code. - amid all this rubble? i mean, i think you broke the code. any| think you broke the code. any humanitarian assistance to ngos in the un can be deployed. but to create a standard of living, a degree of normalcy, to return even to october the 7th, is going to require a couple of things. number one, it requires an end to the war. there is no way you could reliably and predictably gaza what it needs if in fact it continues to be a fighting zone. and number two, hamas is going to survive as an

insurgency, capable of influencing not only where the humanitarian assistance goes, but to whom it goes. and i think therein lies the real problem. there has been a lot of planning for post—conflict gaza, but we are so far from what is required to create a palestinian governing structure that's not corrupt, that effective... who is going to maintain security? an international force? boots maintain security? an internationalforce? boots on international force? boots on the internationalforce? boots on the ground? a palestinian security force? and then of course, as you pointed out, the key challenge of who will provide the resources. the americans won't, donald trump or sure won't. i'm not sure you can expect much from the europeans. the key is the gulf. it is not only the end to the war, it is a pathway forward which will allow israelis and palestinians to aggression the core issues which have driven the conflict over the decades.

gulf money is not going to pay, evenin gulf money is not going to pay, even in year two, three or four, you are going to end up with another major conflict between israel and hamas. a lot to be done. very little time to do it. it requires leadership and political will. i'm afraid that's lacking at the moment. that last point about the role of the gulf states is really important. we know donald trump are's interested in the abraham accords. but as you suggest, saudi arabia will exact a price for that, won't they? it's good to talk to you, thank you for coming on the programme. so so much for having me. as the hours count down to donald trump's inauguration trump has held a rally in the capitol 0ne arena — let's take a listen to some of what he had to say. we like winning, don't we? we are going to make our country

greater than ever before. hello, washington. and hello, america. i am thrilled to be back with so many friends and supporters on the eve of taking back our country. that's what we're going to do. take back our country. tomorrow, at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of american decline. and we begin a brand—new day of american strength and prosperity. dignity and pride. bringing it all back. 0nce prosperity. dignity and pride. bringing it all back. once and for all, we are going to end the reign of a failed and corrupt political establishment. in washington. a failed administration. we are not going to take it any more. we're going to stop the invasion of our borders. we are

going to reclaim our wealth. we are going to unlock the liquid gold right under our feet. liquid gold. we're going to bring back law and order to our cities. we going to restore patriotism to our schools, get radical left woke ideologies the hell out of our military and out of our government. and we are going to make america great again. 0ur chief presenter, sumi somaskanda, was also there at trump's victory rally, and sent this report. donald trump holding his make america — donald trump holding his make america great again victory rally— america great again victory rally in_ america great again victory rally in the capital one arena amid — rally in the capital one arena amid thousands of supporters packed — amid thousands of supporters packed into see the president elect, — packed into see the president elect, many waking hours in the

icy rain — elect, many waking hours in the icy rain and _ elect, many waking hours in the icy rain and cold temperatures outside — icy rain and cold temperatures outside to get a view of the president elect. —— waiting hours _ president elect. —— waiting hours it_ president elect. —— waiting hours. it reflected many railies— hours. it reflected many rallies we saw on the campaign trail, _ rallies we saw on the campaign trail, many of the same speakers and performers, kid rock, — speakers and performers, kid rock, his— speakers and performers, kid rock, his sons donald junior and — rock, his sons donald junior and eric— rock, his sons donald junior and eric trump, and of course eion— and eric trump, and of course eton musk, _ and eric trump, and of course elon musk, who has become a close — elon musk, who has become a close ally. _ elon musk, who has become a close ally, whojumped onto stage — close ally, whojumped onto stage with his son x as donald trump — stage with his son x as donald trump was speaking. this was very— trump was speaking. this was very much_ trump was speaking. this was very much an opportunity for donald — very much an opportunity for donald trump to take in the crowds _ donald trump to take in the crowds of his supporters before he assumes the duties of the presidency once again on monday. it was also an opportunity for him to talk about— opportunity for him to talk about his policy agenda. he pointed _ about his policy agenda. he pointed to his america is both policy— pointed to his america is both policy and said he would have knocked — policy and said he would have knocked those —— said he would enact _ knocked those —— said he would enact those agenda items on day one _ enact those agenda items on day one. donald trump talked about closing — one. donald trump talked about closing the southern border. —— america — closing the southern border. —— america first policy. he talked about — america first policy. he talked about lifting federal regulation. 0n environmental

and energy policy. to bring prices _ and energy policy. to bring prices down, something that was a big _ prices down, something that was a big issue — prices down, something that was a big issue in the election campaigns. he also talked about culture _ campaigns. he also talked about culture war issues, like taking what — culture war issues, like taking what he — culture war issues, like taking what he called, quote, woke policies _ what he called, quote, woke policies out of the military and — policies out of the military and schools. in the end he sounded _ and schools. in the end he sounded victorious, confident and ready to hit the ground running _ and ready to hit the ground running on day one, something his team — running on day one, something his team says he will do.- his team says he will do. sumi somaskanda — his team says he will do. sumi somaskanda reporting - his team says he will do. sumi somaskanda reporting from i his team says he will do. 5irn somaskanda reporting from the capital one arena. president—elect trump pledged to that crowd in dc that his administration will take a tough stance on border and immigration enforcement. chicago isjust one major city that could reportedly see deportation raids soon after trump enters the white house. 0ur north america correspondent carl nasman is in chicago for us. that might begin as soon as tuesday. it that might begin as soon as tuesda . that might begin as soon as tuesday-— that might begin as soon as tuesda . ., , tuesday. it might. people in chicano tuesday. it might. people in chicago really _ tuesday. it might. people in chicago really bracing - tuesday. it might. people in chicago really bracing for - tuesday. it might. people in l chicago really bracing for what

i'll called targeted immigration enforcement operations in the next 24—48 hours. —— what operations in the next 24—