live from washington, this is bbc news. the israel—gaza ceasefire begins — three female hostages released by hamas see their family and friends, after 15 months. in exchange, 90 palestinians have just been released from prisons in the israeli—occupied west bank. and donald trump tells a rally in washington he's going to repeal every executive order enacted byjoe biden within hours of taking office.

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 international journalists 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. part of the process ahead will be negotiating a plan to rebuild gaza. for now, displaced palestinians have began to return to the homes from where they fled. fergal keane reports now on the future for the people of gaza. from every face... ..the war stares back. "is it really over?",

many wonder. ..all they've endured. cheering. but relief after the ceasefire. civil defence workers no longer fearing israeli attack — over 90 of their colleagues were killed. hatem al atar, 2a years old, spent months searching for the wounded and the dead, checking for israeli snipers before going on, not knowing if he'll survive the day. hatem often led the way, into moments that could change everything. hatem! his friends rushed to help. hatem survived, to live in hope.

translation: with the ceasefire deal, i will pursue my _ university study, once universities are back to business. i'm single, but i will think about getting married. gunfire. establishing security is a first priority. a major aid operation is planned. the need is desperate. car horn beeps. this was a jordanian convoy, being unloaded soon after the ceasefire. two million people are displaced. the bbc followed profjumah abu shiha as he returned home for the first time. translation: i built this house, block by block. i i painted it and worked on it. i came back and it's not a house any more. i can't find a house.

i can only see destruction. gaza is full of traumatised child survivors, like ammar al—hindi. last october, the bbc filmed him after an israeli strike hit his home. "you're strong, darling", the nurse tells him. "where's sharif?", he asked about his brother. "he's ok", the nurse responds. but sharif and the rest of ammar�*s family were already dead. now he's living with his grandparents, and talks about following the dream of another dead brother.

so much has been taken that will never come back. the living wonder if they will ever see the end of war. fergal keane, bbc news, on the israel—gaza border. as soon as the ceasefire was announced, humanitarian aid began to move across the border into gaza, with up to 600 trucks a day expected. for more on the humanitarian situation, i've been speaking to unwra's acting director in gaza, sam rose. sam, described to me what it has felt like there in gaza. we have this delayed start to the ceasefire, then the release of the first three hostages. what have you witnessed in the last 12 hours?—

12 hours? absolutely, well, it's really — 12 hours? absolutely, well, it's really been _ 12 hours? absolutely, well, it's really been quite - 12 hours? absolutely, well, it's really been quite an - it's really been quite an incredible day, in all sorts of ways, the day that everyone here has been waiting for since seven october 2023 has finally come to pass. people will —— still really try to get their head around it. today has been the day of release. it's been a day of when people from the first time in 16 months have not had to fear about —— worry about the fear of death with every moment. these guys have been quiet, there's been no artillery, not even any drones, and children have been playing, really the first time in the past 16 months that parents have been willing to let their young children out of their sight, so it's really been a day of release, and a day when people say they can finally breathe, after such misery for so long. they know this is only the start, but people are just taking yesterday, as i say,

just to breathe out and forget for a moment about the horrors of the past 16 months. did for a moment about the horrors of the past 16 months.- of the past 16 months. did it feel tense. _ of the past 16 months. did it feeltense, sam, _ of the past 16 months. did it feeltense, sam, at - of the past 16 months. did it feel tense, sam, at that - of the past 16 months. did it - feel tense, sam, at that moment that the hostages were coming out, and all the interest that there was in that? i out, and all the interest that there was in that?— out, and all the interest that there was in that? i mean, not where i there was in that? i mean, not where l was- — there was in that? i mean, not where i was. i— there was in that? i mean, not where i was. i was _ there was in that? i mean, not where i was. i was several- where i was. i was several kilometres away from that. obviously i've seen the pictures, i have seen the clips, i've seen the parents whose loved ones have been returned to them. we can only begin to imagine what they'd gone through over the past 16 months, and what they're going through now. obviously, it is massively important, and a real moment ofjoy for them and we wish them all the best. but no, i mean, where i was, the focus is really on the situation in the ground, and people, as i say, just being able to be out and about, do a "normal thing" for the first time in 16 months, just being able to move around freely, not in a situation of constant fear. but

of course _ situation of constant fear. but of course a — situation of constant fear. but of course a lot _ situation of constant fear. but of course a lot of— situation of constant fear. but of course a lot of these families will have nothing to return to, and the crucial aspect of this now is the aid that's coming in. how much i got through today, and how much easier will it be to distribute to those parts of gaza that you've not been to reach? irate you've not been to reach? we still don't _ you've not been to reach? we still don't have _ you've not been to reach? - still don't have a precise count for today, so i can't give you precise numbers. what i can say is that the age tracks started flowing at 11:15am, sown as soon as the ceasefire came into effect those tracks have come through. they have been able to go backwards and forwards into the crossing point into southern gaza today so we are expecting a major uptake into the volume of aid coming in. a major uptake into the volume ofaid coming in. and a major uptake into the volume of aid coming in. and of course it is far easierfor us of aid coming in. and of course it is far easier for us to go and collect that aid because many of the problems we have faced so far in the war go away when the fighting stops. we are no longerfighting —— moving through an active conflict zone, we no longer have to coordinate all these movements with the israeli authorities,

because we're going through a conflict zone, and we have not today, and it is too early to say whether this will hold but we know that it will, we have not faced any major problems with looting and criminology. we have been able to go into the crossing relatively freely and we have been able to go out importantly using the routes that we want to use to get the aid to our warehouses, and out to people. we have not been able to cross into northern gaza, the aid reaching northern gaza, the aid reaching northern gaza has come in from the north, and people themselves have not been able to get to northern gaza. but we have capacity inside gaza. at unwra, we were running large—scale programmes before the war, we have the networks, the community acceptance, we have the people on the ground who can do this work. in many ways, of the distribution of supplies, supplies that have been outside gaza for several months, this is the easy bit. we have to move away from thinking about people's needs in gaza as a function of the

volume of aid, the number of trucks that get in. the real rebuilding process here were take an awful lot of time. not just talking about food, health care, buildings, roads, infrastructure, we've got individuals, families, communities that need to be rebuilt. the trauma that they've gone through, the suffering, the loss, grief, the humiliation and the cruelty that they have endured over the past 16 months. this is going to be a very, very long road. every person in gaza has been traumatised by what has gone on. everyone has lost something. most of those homes are now destroyed, most of the roads are now destroyed. it is going to be a long, long process of rehabilitation and rebuilding, but we absolutely have to make it work. the acting director of unwra, sam rowe is configuring his perspective from inside gaza. around the world and across

the uk, this is bbc news. for our uk viewers still with us, a quick look at some of the story still making news today. the bbc understands the government will make an announcement on hospital funding in england next week. this includes hundreds of millions of pounds previously promised to london hospitals, including st helier hospital in sutton. chancellor rachel reeves announced in july that a review would be carried out on hospital, road and rail projects. the chancellor's deputy, darrenjones, says donald trump will want to do a good deal with the uk. jones, who is chief secretary to the treasury, said he is confident that uk—us trading relationships could be deepened. however, reform uk leader, nigel farage, claims prime minster sir keir starmer is in a "weak" negotiating position, due to his wish to strengthen ties with the eu. kent police say a woman has been charged with attempted murder, after a knife attack in dover. emergency services were called, after a woman in her 50s was attacked while out walking. security staff at a nearby pub disarmed and restrained the suspect. the victim was treated at hospital and has since been discharged.

you're live with bbc news. the release of the hostages in the middle east comes on the very last day of the biden presidency, a diplomatic high with which the biden administration can say goodbye. our north america editor sarah smith reports. now in the final countdown before he leaves office in less than 2a hours' time, joe biden wants to be remembered for brokering the ceasefire in the middle east. today, the guns in gaza have gone silent. this was the deal that i outlined for the world back on may 31st. many of you covered it at the time. a sombre donald trump today laid a ceremonial wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. he did play an important role in securing the ceasefire, and he will now be the president who oversees its implementation, taking on a global diplomatic role, at the same time as he becomes america's commander in chief.

mr trump is already celebrating his own return to power. the ultimate political showman, he laid on his own fireworks display last night. you guys do me a favour. just stay on that side. washington is braced and ready. trump's troops have travelled from right across america. but this time around does not feel like a hostile invasion. donald trump won a convincing election victory. america wants him to take decisive action on border security and the economy. close the border and lower the taxes. i need my groceries to lower. i need my utilities to lower back down. i can't, gas is high. i'm hoping he lowers it back down so middle class can live. you look quite moved by the idea of seeing donald trump. my grandfather was a big trump supporter. unfortunately, he's not with us any more. um, so i'm basically here for him. thank you.

in 2017, mrtrump insisted, despite all evidence to the contrary, that he attracted larger crowds than barack obama had. no such dispute will be possible this year. a last—minute rapid reset has been required, as freezing weather has forced the inauguration ceremony to move inside the capitol. it's been a0 years since frigid temperatures meant ronald reagan had to take his second oath of office indoors. i, donald john trump... eight years ago, donald trump shocked the country with his unexpected victory, and his unorthodox inaugural speech. this american carnage stops right here and stops right now. now that he has pulled off what is surely the greatest us political comeback, he's no longer the renegade outsider. he has a mandate to enact a radical programme of change in america, and he plans to use it

from day one. as the hours count down to donald trump's inauguration, the president—elect has told a rally he's going to repeal every executive order enacted byjoe biden within hours of taking office. he also told supporters america would enter a new era of prosperity. let's take a listen to some of what he had to say. what a good feeling. we like winning, don't we? we're going to make our country greater than ever before. hello, washington, and hello america. we are all over america. i'm thrilled to be back with so many friends, supporters and true american patriots on the eve of taking back our country. this is 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. once and for all, we're going to end the rayanne of a failed and corrupt political establishment in washington, a failed administration. we're not going to it any more. we are going to stop the invasion of our borders, we're going to reclaim wealth, we are going to unlock the liquid gold that's right under our feet, the liquid gold that's right under ourfeet, liquid gold. we are going to bring back law and order to our cities. we are going to restore patriotism to

our schools, get radical left, woke ideologies the hell out of our military and our government. and we are going to make america great again. donald trump speaking earlier at the capital one arena here in the capitol. here in the capitol. our chief presenter, sumi somaskanda, was at trump's victory rally, and sent this report. donald trump holding his make america great again victory rally here right in capital one arena, amid thousands of the supporters who packed in here to see the president elect, many of them waiting hours in the icy rain and cold temperatures outside to get a view of the president elect. the rally itself reflected many of the rallies we saw from donald trump himself on the campaign trail. many of the same speakers and performers like kid rock, like his sons donjunior and eric trump, like kid rock, like his sons donjuniorand eric trump, and of course elon musk who has

become a close ally of donald trump, jumped right onto stage with his son, x, as donald trump was speaking. this is very much an opportunity for donald trump to take the crowds of supporters before he assumes the duties of the presidency once again on monday. it was also an opportunity for him to talk about his policy agenda. he pointed to his america first policy and said he would have enacted those agenda items on day e