scenes of celebration in the west bank, as 200 palestinians are released from israeli prisons. that prisoner release came after hamas releaed four female israeli soldiers. it's the second exchange under the gaza ceasefire deal. the four israeli women have been reunited with their families and are being checked by medical teams. their story is seen as inspiring the nation. it is an immense privilege to meet these four brave women and be part of their healing process which is part of the healing process of the entire israeli people. but — a delay in releasing another israeli hostage has prompted israel to halt the return of gazans to the region's bombed—out north. six foreign peacekeepers have been killed in clashes with m—23 rebels in the east of the democratic republic of the congo and pete hegseth has been sworn in as the new us secretary of defence in a ceremony in washington.

hello, i'm rich preston. let's begin with the events in the middle east. there have been scenes ofjubiliation in israel and the west bank, after four female israeli soldiers held hostage by hamas were released, in exchange for around 200 palestinian prisoners detained by israel. the four women — three of them aged 20 and one of them 19 — were reunited with their parents at a reception point in southern israel. they were then taken by helicopter to hospital for medical assessments. meanwhile, crowds of palestinians turned out in the west bank to welcome two buses carrying detainees released rom two israeli prisons. reports from egypt say 70 of the 200 prisoners have arrived in egypt — from where they'll travel on to neighbouring countries. as part of the ceasefire deal, thousands of gaza residents were supposed to be allowed to return to the north

of the strip today. but israel has so far prevented them crossing into the north until a female civilian hostage, arbel yehud, is released. israel says she should have been freed today. hamas says she will be released next week, and another armed palestinian group, islamichhad, has told the bbc it has given egyptian mediators proof she is still alive. first this report from our middle east correspondent lucy williamson. in a theatre of war, the theatre of victory. cheering. four israeli soldiers escorted by hamas to a specially—built stage. naama, liri, daniela and karina smiling for the cameras after 15 months in captivity, their freedom signed moments before. in tel aviv�*s hostage square, tension broke into joy, then relief.

the childhood friends of liri albag watched together as she was freed — a moment imagined many times. still unreal. when i saw liri's smile, when i saw liri's walking on her two legs, it's everything. it's everything. she's a hero. she's a fighter. and this moment, this couple of minutes, just show me how brave she is. there was joy for those crossing into gaza too today. prisoners released by israel in exchange. from inside the red cross vehicles, theirfirst glimpse of post—war gaza, and the people who still make it home. this man's niece and nephew, running to meet

him with their mother. "it's been 20 years," she said. "my brother, my heart." near gaza's coastal road today, families waited for israeli troops to leave. filmed by our cameraman there, israel doesn't allow outside journalists in to report independently. the promise that gazans could return to homes in the north delayed, as israel accused hamas of breaching the deal by not releasing civilian female hostage, arbel yehud. across the border, 15 months of waiting ended... ..in the relief of hugging a parent, holding a child. their love and thanks,

a reminder of 90 hostages still held in gaza. this is, for israel, the start of a long and precarious road home. lucy williamson, bbc news, tel aviv. 0ur correspondent nick beake was at hostages square in tel aviv where the families had gathered to celebrate their release. yes, this is arbel yahud. the big screen was the footage we all saw earlier of the four hostages being released and reunited with their families. a real feeling of reunited with their families. a realfeeling ofjubilation today but a different message, the rally is getting under way in will last an hour or so but the central message is that the remaining hostages must not be forgotten. we have some of the families and friends of those still being detained, around 90

people and among them was michael levy who spoke to us earlier on. his younger brother was kidnapped by hamas on october the 7th and this is what you told us about that day. what you told us about that da . ., ~' , what you told us about that da . ., 4' , . what you told us about that da. ~ ::., what you told us about that da. ,., ~ x. ., ., day. he woke up at 6:20am along with his wife _ day. he woke up at 6:20am along with his wife and _ day. he woke up at 6:20am along with his wife and left _ day. he woke up at 6:20am along with his wife and left their - with his wife and left their two—year—old son at home with his grandparents and a few minutes— his grandparents and a few minutes before he called us from — minutes before he called us from inside a bomb shelter, he ran into — from inside a bomb shelter, he ran into a — from inside a bomb shelter, he ran into a bomb shelter. he was completely terrified and just repeated the sentence, you don't — repeated the sentence, you don't want to know what is going _ don't want to know what is going on_ don't want to know what is going on here. and if you minuies— going on here. and if you minutes after a group of terrorists arrived and started throwing _ terrorists arrived and started throwing grenades. they sprayed the throwing grenades. they sprayed ihe bomb— throwing grenades. they sprayed the bomb shelter with billets and even fired an rpg into it and— and even fired an rpg into it and he— and even fired an rpg into it and he was kidnapped.- and he was kidnapped. your sister-in-law _ and he was kidnapped. your sister-in-law was _ and he was kidnapped. your sister-in-law was killed -

and he was kidnapped. your sister-in-law was killed and j sister—in—law was killed and your brother taken hostage. your brother ta ken hostage. when your brother taken hostage. when you see what happened today, the greatjoy of the four women being released, how does it leave you? i imagine conflicting emotions.- conflicting emotions. very conflicted _ conflicting emotions. very conflicted emotions - conflicting emotions. very l conflicted emotions because conflicting emotions. very conflicted emotions because on the one — conflicted emotions because on the one hand you are happy because _ the one hand you are happy because those families became my family. they became part of us, so _ my family. they became part of us, so i — my family. they became part of us, so i am _ my family. they became part of us, so i am happy almost as if it is_ us, so i am happy almost as if it is my— us, so i am happy almost as if it is my own_ us, so i am happy almost as if it is my own family. but on the other_ it is my own family. but on the other hand, there are still 90 hostages _ other hand, there are still 90 hostages back in gaza including my brother and you cannot just rest _ my brother and you cannot just rest and — my brother and you cannot just rest and hope for the best. you have _ rest and hope for the best. you have to — rest and hope for the best. you have to keep fighting to get them — have to keep fighting to get them all released.- have to keep fighting to get them all released. your brother was one of— them all released. your brother was one of the _ them all released. your brother was one of the 33 _ them all released. your brother was one of the 33 hostages - them all released. your brotherj was one of the 33 hostages who were supposed to be released in this first phase of the ceasefire, so for you there is hope after 15 months of anguish. hope after 15 months of anguish-— hope after 15 months of annuish. . ., ., ., ., ., anguish. once again on one hand ou have anguish. once again on one hand you have a _ anguish. once again on one hand you have a lot — anguish. once again on one hand you have a lot of—

anguish. once again on one hand you have a lot of hope _ anguish. once again on one hand you have a lot of hope because i you have a lot of hope because you have a lot of hope because you finally— you have a lot of hope because you finally have an end date to this nightmare, but at the same time _ this nightmare, but at the same time we — this nightmare, but at the same time we remember that we are dealing — time we remember that we are dealing with monsters. hamas will do — dealing with monsters. hamas will do everything they can to make — will do everything they canto make us— will do everything they can to make us suffer and to stop this deal— make us suffer and to stop this deal with— make us suffer and to stop this deal with any kind of excuse. they— deal with any kind of excuse. they did _ deal with any kind of excuse. they did it before and our fear is that— they did it before and our fear is that they will do it again so we _ is that they will do it again so we cannotjust be calm and hope — so we cannotjust be calm and hope for— so we cannotjust be calm and hope for the best. like i said, we have — hope for the best. like i said, we have to _ hope for the best. like i said, we have to keep going until he is here — we have to keep going until he is here because i want to believe _ is here because i want to believe it is actually happening until i hug him with my own — happening until i hug him with my own hands. happening untili hug him with my own hands.— happening untili hug him with my own hands. you have been waitin: my own hands. you have been waiting for— my own hands. you have been waiting for news _ my own hands. you have been waiting for news and _ my own hands. you have been waiting for news and have - my own hands. you have been. waiting for news and have come to speak to us this evening as we wait any moment for hamas to release this list of the remaining 26 hostages due for release in this first phase. hamas is supposed to be saying whether these people are alive or dead including your brother. an incredibly difficult moment

for you. an incredibly difficult moment foryou. i an incredibly difficult moment for ou. ~ , an incredibly difficult moment for ou. ~' , for you. i keep saying, it is like a reality _ for you. i keep saying, it is like a reality that - for you. i keep saying, it is like a reality that the - for you. i keep saying, it is like a reality that the devil| like a reality that the devil himseif— like a reality that the devil himself invented. that's how we feel _ himself invented. that's how we feel part — himself invented. that's how we feel. part of an evil reality show _ feel. part of an evil reality show that hamas is enjoying. as i show that hamas is enjoying. as i said. _ show that hamas is enjoying. as i said. they— show that hamas is enjoying. as i said, they will do everything to make — i said, they will do everything to make us suffer and i hope we will get — to make us suffer and i hope we will get this list soon and know— will get this list soon and know who is alive and who is not, _ know who is alive and who is not. and _ know who is alive and who is not, and hopefully we can put an end — not, and hopefully we can put an end to— not, and hopefully we can put an end to it.— an end to it. your little nephew. _ an end to it. your little nephew, just _ an end to it. your little nephew, just three - an end to it. your little | nephew, just three and an end to it. your little l nephew, just three and a an end to it. your little - nephew, just three and a half years old, his dad has been taken hostage and his mother killed. people probably want to know how is he doing at this moment? 50 know how is he doing at this moment?— know how is he doing at this moment? .,, ., moment? so most of the time he is a normal _ moment? so most of the time he is a normal three _ moment? so most of the time he is a normal three and _ moment? so most of the time he is a normal three and a _ moment? so most of the time he is a normal three and a half- is a normal three and a half year— is a normal three and a half year old _ is a normal three and a half year old boy, he is happy and enjoying _ year old boy, he is happy and enjoying himself and doing things— enjoying himself and doing things he is supposed to do.

there — things he is supposed to do. there are _ things he is supposed to do. there are a lot of moments when he misses— there are a lot of moments when he misses them. whenever he sees _ he misses them. whenever he sees a — he misses them. whenever he sees a woman with long hair she asks _ sees a woman with long hair she asks her— sees a woman with long hair she asks her to— sees a woman with long hair she asks her to pick him up because this is— asks her to pick him up because this is what— asks her to pick him up because this is what his mum used to do _ this is what his mum used to do he — this is what his mum used to do. he keeps asking if his dad is really— do. he keeps asking if his dad is really coming back. he cries when — is really coming back. he cries when he — is really coming back. he cries when he sees parents coming to pick their— when he sees parents coming to pick their kids from kindergarten. he misses them, he wants— kindergarten. he misses them, he wants to be a normal kid. we heard he wants to be a normal kid. heard about he wants to be a normal kid. - heard about that sense of hope earlier on from michael levy but they hope somewhat dashed earlier when a civilian hostage who was expected to be released today was not. tell us more about that. yes, this is arbel yahud. she's a 29—year—old civilian. and in israel all this week, the media was speculating that she would be released. but last night, when hamas gave this list of four women to be freed, she was not on it. and a lot of people were asking why, because under this deal, civilians are supposed to be

released before soldiers, women before men. so that's how it works. but she wasn't on this list. and so what israel has said today is that hamas, through not releasing her today, is basically in breach of the deal here. and as a consequence, israel has stopped hundreds of thousands of people in gaza from returning to the north, back to their homes. they were expecting to do this today. they were getting ready to make thatjourney. but so far, israel has said they're not able to do that. now, we've heard from a hamas source tonight saying that, in fact, this civilian will be released next weekend and that the militant group has provided to mediators of this ceasefire arrangement a proof of life video. we don't know at this point whether that's enough to satisfy the israeli authorities and that they will say in the coming hours that they will let these hundreds of thousands of gazans travel north to see what remains of their homes. so that's one thing to watch.

and also, still, we're waiting for this list that hamas is due to provide of the remaining 26 hostages in this first phase of the deal. hamas supposed to be saying whether they were alive or dead. we don't know when that will come. and we don't know whether that status, that bleak status, alive or dead will be matched to individuals, to those individual names. so still the waiting for the families here, a lot of whom are here this evening, that goes on. 0ur correspondent nick beek in hostage square in tel aviv. meanwhilejohn donaldson was in the west bank. pretty chaotic scenes, to be honest. outside a big sports complex in ramallah, a few miles from the prison where many of those detainees were being held. and when the buses arrived, carrying, well, about 100, 110 prisoners who are going to be returning to their homes in the west bank, there was chaos, really. just the buses mobbed by those prisoners'

families, their supporters. the prisoners emerged not looking in great shape, a lot of them, to be honest — pretty gaunt, a lot of them with shaven heads, long beards in their grey prison tracksuits, and they were hoisted onto the shoulders of their supporters to huge cheers, really. and you really get a sense of the division of opinion here. i mean, in israel, these men mostly are regarded as terrorists. here, they are really regarded as heroes for many people. jon, can you tell us a bit more about where these prisoners are going and why? yeah, so 200 in total were freed today. as i say, roughly 110, 120 are coming back to the west bank or east jerusalem. they're the ones i saw here arriving today. another 70 have already moved to egypt. they've been deported there, and they're going to be transferred to neighbouring countries, including turkey and qatar, and a small

number of prisoners, as well, as we saw in lucy's report earlier, arrived back in gaza. now, of those 200 prisoners, 121 were serving life sentences, some of them for multiple murder convictions, murder convictions, attempted murder in israeli courts, some on lesser sentences, some not even charged at all. the youngest prisoner to be freed today was just 16 years old, a 16—year—old boy. and the person who'd served the longest was actually jailed way back in 1986, so he's done some 39 years in prison. how much of a political win is this for hamas? i think it's a win for hamas, especially here in the west bank. you know, basically, you cannot understate how big an issue prisoners is for palestinians here. almost every family will have a relative

who at some time has been detained in an israeli prison. there are thousands of palestinian prisoners. that have been detained in the past 15 months since the war started on october seventh 2023. 1,000 or so more who've been detained from gaza. so those images today, of those prisoners being held aloft on people's shoulders, that is a win for hamas because it enables them to say, "look, we're getting these prisoners out. "we're the only legitimate resistance," as they would call it, "to israel's military occupation." and by comparison, their political rivals in the west bank, fatah, who historically have been much more popular, well, they are seen as basically pretty ineffective. they've failed to improve people's lives economically. they've failed to end the occupation. and when you look at polling, since the war started in gaza, hamas's popularity there has

faded with maybe people saying, look, hamas brought all this suffering on the people of gaza. but here in the west bank, it has surged. and those images today, they will see that prestige rise further, i think. that's really interesting, jon. we talked earlier on about the israeli soldiers who were released and how they were taken to hospital for medical checks. you mentioned the apparent condition of some of these palestinian prisoners. what facilities are available for them, for their health care, post—theirtime in israeli prisons? well, obviously there are hospitals, medical facilities in the west bank. actually, at the reception today, when they arrived, there were a lot of ambulances on standby. but everyone i saw coming out of the buses walked out of the buses before they were being hoisted on their people's shoulders. i didn't see anyone getting medical treatment or certainly not being taken off in an ambulance. it was pretty striking, actually, how unhealthy they looked.

even though they were smiling, they were very, very thin, very gaunt in the face. a lot of them looked like they'd lost quite a lot of weight while in prison. and with that shaven heads, which creates a very striking image in itself. you can get the very latest on this on the bbc news app and the bbc news website. there is a live page up and running with all the details. now it is time for a look at today's sport. we are going to start with english premier league because liverpool head coach are lott said his side were almost perfect as they moved a step closer to winning that title. they beat struggling ipswich 4—1 they beat struggling ipswich 4-1 at they beat struggling ipswich 4—1 at anfield. dominik szoboszlai and mo sala scoring. liverpool are six points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand. ipswich stay in

the relegation zone on goal difference. aha, the relegation zone on goal difference.— difference. a bit more impressive _ difference. a bit more impressive then - difference. a bit more impressive then that i difference. a bit more l impressive then that we difference. a bit more - impressive then that we created more chances and scored more goals but in both games we have conceded any counterattacks which is not easy with the team is playing so low and waiting for us to make mistakes and they have good wingers and a good number nine that can hurt you on the counterattack, but we have control that perfectly. the only thing we are not happy about is conceding the set piece in the end. liverpool's nearest rivals _ piece in the end. liverpool's nearest rivals arsenal - piece in the end. liverpool's nearest rivals arsenal beat i nearest rivals arsenal beat wolves 1—0, both teams finishing with ten men. nottingham forest were humiliated away at the losing 5-0. humiliated away at the losing 5—0. manchester city beat chelsea to move up to fourth place and wins for newcastle and everton. a big night in european football as paris saint—germain and real madrid are both in action right now. psg are into the second half

and they are 1—0 ahead while real madrid have a 2—0 lead with around 30 minutes left, both of those goals from kylian mbappe. in italy napoli have move six points clear at the top after coming from behind to beatjuventus 2—1. bayern munich move six points clear. second placed leverkusen could only draw 2—2 at leipzig despite leading to zero. there are less than 12 hours to go until the final of the men's singles at the australian open. jannik sinneraiming to jannik sinner aiming to successfully jannik sinneraiming to successfully retain his title against alexander zverev who is looking to win his first grand slam title. earlier madison keys finally had her hands on the first major trophy. she caused a shock in the women's

final beating the defending champion sabalenka in three sets in a match that lasted over two hours. to sets in a match that lasted over two hours.— sets in a match that lasted over two hours. to get back to this position — over two hours. to get back to this position and _ over two hours. to get back to this position and to _ over two hours. to get back to this position and to be - over two hours. to get back to this position and to be able . over two hours. to get back to this position and to be able to | this position and to be able to play the way that i played and finished on such a strong note, i am just really proud of myself and i didn't always believe i could get back to this point, but to be able to do it and win, it means the world to me.— world to me. cricket and a stunning _ world to me. cricket and a stunning unbeaten - world to me. cricket and a stunning unbeaten 72 - world to me. cricket and a i stunning unbeaten 72 guided india to a thrilling t20 win against england. they go 2—0 up in the five match series. batting first england set india 166 to win with captainjos buttler top scoring with a5. india lost wickets at regular intervals but varma stuck around and got india over the line with two wickets in hand and just for balls remaining. defeat for england's women in

their ashes series and now the hosts have their sights set on an unprecedented series clean sweep. beth mooney top scored for a civilian in the sweep. beth mooney top scored for