and, bianna, you spent most of the day today at hostage square in tel aviv. what's the reaction there yeah, jake, for most of these families, especially those that would be included in the first phase, the 33 hostages that would be released over the course of six weeks. >> sunday cannot come soon enough. >> i have to say the mood at hostage square was a bit subdued. >> it definitely was not celebratory. there were people reflecting upon, yes, good news that hostages would come home, but nobody called this a perfect deal. and there's a lot of concern about the remaining hostages that would only be released in phase two and then phase three. i spoke with a woman who was there in hostage square, and here's how she described the mood. >> but i think, you know, it's not a celebratory mood because everyone knows it's not a perfect deal. >> but i think every single hostage that didn't come back, it's as if we can save the whole humanity. so on the one hand, there's relief and hope that some of the hostages and o't think there's any, you know oth some terrorists that

this is hostage square, where obviously you can see the pictures of the hostage, the slogan bring them home now are all over the city of tel aviv. behind me you will see as well some of the tents. the tents were set up for the family members of the hostages in the early days, and they've been there ever since. and over the past 15 months there have been structures like this tunnel behind me, a makeshift tunnel to show people what it's like to live day in and day out in the dark. behind me, over here. you'll see. you'll see a count 466 days. i believe it's actually 467 days today. so, as you can see, there aren't that many people. it is very subdued. but outsi the defense ministry, not far from where i'm standing. moments ago, there was a bigger protest, and there was definitely a lot of anger. oplepe people and an e governme will lltell is same deald have that hamanointerestedst in g, t thweeks ey making headheli last 24 what i nanister ed ha sthoage e previous hostage deals in the past. he was hoping to do so with this deal. that has sparked so much anger and so much fury among family

. >> let's bring in nbc's daniele hamamdjian, who is in tel aviv's hostage square. think, as richard just pointed out, there are many israelis who wanted this to end, who want to see the return of the hostages, who want to see the families who have lost loved ones to be able to have the remains of their loved ones brought back. but i wonder what you're seeing and what you're hearing on the ground there from people who are out at almost 10:00 at night there in tel aviv. >> yeah, well, this is hostage square, which has been ground zero really, for the family members of the hostages. and you can see behind me photographs of the hostages. bring them home. now, that's the slogan that you can see all over the city of tel aviv. and there are tents in the back. it was set up in the early days for the family members, and they have been there ever since. but i have to say it is fairly empty here tonight. i mean, one woman came up to us and said, i ran here as soon as i heard, but where is everybody? and the answer is, is that there is no, as richard said, there's it's too earl

we saw pictures a bit earlier in the afternoon of those families in hostage square in tel aviv, and letey have said. they say, in they have said. they say, in the light of reports about an imminent agreement, we welcome and deeply appreciate the return of every hostage, each one representing hope and relief not only for their immediate family but for our entire community. we urgently pull for a framework which ensures the return of every person held captive after more than 400 to two days, our loved ones continue to endure an emotional distress. 0ur ones continue to endure an emotional distress. our mission remains unfinished until all the hostages, both living and dead, are returned home. let me bring you back in, mark, because that is so critical to this was to steal. a ceasefire will come after space two and three and an initial pause for those 46 days you were taking us through, but absolutely central is the return of the hostages and, as we are talking, we don't know the exact numbers of those alive and those who are not. no, the israeli government believes that about a third of th

the reaction from hostage square in tel aviv right now. plus, a journalist who was in gaza just last month and has seen the dire need for humanitarian aid. she's going to join us with her take on where negotiations landed follow the trump confirmation hearings. >> follow the facts. follow cnn. >> why do 80% of nfl players choose a sleep number bed? >> because the higher my sleep iq score, the better i play. but that's not the only reason he likes to slide firm. >> i like my slide. >> soft sleep number does that effortless comfort all night. >> so sleeping on a smart bed is why you can play like this. >> yeah, because i also like to sleep cool and i like to sleep even cooler. and i really like it when we both get what we want. >> sleep number does that. >> introducing the new sleep number climate cool smart bed. sleep up to 15 degrees cooler on each side. visit a sleep number store near you for a plant based healthy blood pressure support. >> there's one brand at walmart that stands above the rest. >> it's super beats. >> discover why more

i want to go back to cnn's bianna golodryga, who is in hostage square in tel aviv. what's happening there now, bianna? it looks again pretty subdued. >> yeah. and i was thinking back to the point that you made because i was noticing the same mood here, and somebody put it perfectly to me by saying that that you could cut the tension here with a knife. this has just been such a roller coaster process. not just these last few weeks, as we did see these developments moving towards an ultimate deal. but over the past 15 months, 466 days to be exact. and now here we are. the fact that you even read that note and the report from the prime minister's office, that there appear to be some issues where there are disagreements between what israel agreed to and hamas. nonetheless, they do appear to agree that a deal will be in place in the coming hours. even headlines like that make people very, very nervous here because we have not seen these hostages come home, even though there are reports that a deal is imminent, it's now done and they should start coming home in the next f

israeli hostages to israel, bringing new anticipation among friends and families in tel aviv's hostage squareent biden claimed the success. >>>>this is the cease fire agreement i introduced last spring >>>>in the deal. agreed phase one would last 42 days, with hamas releasing 33 hostages, including women, the elderly and sick. in exchange, israel would set free dozens of palestinian detainees for each. israel would also pull back to gaza's perimeters, and humanitarian aid would start flowing again, something civilians in gaza have been desperate for. >>>>in phase two of the agreement, another 42 days, hamas would release the remaining hostages alive and dead, with the focus shifting to rebuilding gaza and who will govern it in the future. >>>>this brutal conflict was sparked by hamas led invasion of southern israel on october 7th, 2023. more than 1200 were massacred, more than 250 others kidnaped and taken into gaza in retaliation, israel's military has obliterated much of the tiny strip in its avowed goal to destroy hamas. but after 466 days, more than 46,600 men, women and children have als

i was at hostages square tonight, where thousands of israelis flocked to hostages square, not only to show their support for this emerging deal, but also really to stand shoulder to shoulder in this moment in which many israelis are finally allowing themselves to begin to hope that this time will be different, that this time they will actually get this deal across the finish line. and that sentiment is especially, uh, keenly, keenly felt by the families of those hostages, in particular those 33 hostages whose identities we don't know exactly yet. but we have some general idea of the categories of individuals who would likely be released during that first six week ceasefire. and they are finally allowing themselves at least some of those who i spoke to tonight to feel a sense of hope and a sense of optimism after experiencing so many times where things came close to the finish line and ultimately fell apart. but again, jake, a note of caution that all of my sources have been giving me today. there is no deal until that deal is actually finalized and announced. >> and jeremy, in additio

we have seen the square with protesters demanding the release of hostages, but tonight it is empty, a many people feel here about this deal after so many disappointments and so many false starts, and the clock that has been counting the minutes and hours and days of captivity is still going, more than 466 now. but for many hostages and their families, they can finally glimpse an end to they can finally glimpse an end to the ordeal, while some others still cannot. after the public anger and the protests, in tel aviv tonight a private shared relief. too soon for celebrations. this deal too partial, too long coming to spark an explosion of joy. for 15 months, demonstrators here demanded the hostages' release. the names of israel's missing repeated like a mantra. theirfaces papering israel's walls. among them, five—year—old ariel and one—year—old kfir bibas and their parents. it's like a roller—coaster. i'm not breathing right now. we don't know if they are on the list, if they are going to come back in the first phase. if they are alive. if not. we actually don't know anything, so... ..i

we saw scenes of jubilation in southern gaza and a more subdued sense of relief in tel aviv's hostage squaree first phase of the deal is set to begin on sunday, with hamas releasing several of the nearly 100 hostages it still holds. over the course of a six-week pause in fighting, 33 hostages, including americans, will be released in exchange for hundreds of palestinian prisoners. displaced civilians in gaza could return to what remains of their homes, and humanitarian aid will be allowed in. the israeli army would gradually withdraw from populated areas, while still maintaining a buffer zone at the borders. we have a team of correspondents covering this breakthrough deal, beginning with cbs's elizabeth palmer in tel aviv. good evening, liz. >> reporter: good evening. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu has not officially signed off on this agreement yet, but everybody else assumes it's a done deal. in gaza, the thought that sunday would bring a stop to the bombing brought crowds into the ruined streets. "this is the best moment in my life," this woman said. "thank god the war has end

back here in hostage square, where so many have pushed the government for a deal, heartbreak amid the celebration. >> the deal that they're signing is very much the same deal that they had in may. carmel was there on the list for the very first phase, and they didn't sign it in time. >> reporter: and dave, netanyahu speaking to both president biden and president-elect donald trump about the deal, but many people we spoke to tonight are worried. they're not confident this initial cease-fire will lead to phases two and three of the deal, and lasting peace in gaza. daift? >> david: that makeshift tunnel and those faces of all of those loved ones, it's a stark reminder of the more than 400 days that the families have been waiting for news. thank you, tom, who is right there today when this broke. let's get right to our chief foreign correspondent ian pannell, also in tel aviv tonight. a question for you, ian, as well, what so many are asking tonight. how will the mideast leaders and incoming administration keep this tentative cease-fire going, beyond this very tentative first phase? >> re

our colleagues over there and they're talking about the sense and the feeling right now inside hostages square. we heard a lot about it from bianna golodryga earlier in the afternoon. but what they are describing is a moment of relief, but not celebration, because only a handful of hostages are due to return at first. and those who do come back are in unknown condition. >> yeah, that's right dana, and there will still be many moments of uncertainty as this ceasefire is implemented. as those hostages begin to emerge from the gaza strip. the last time we had that week long ceasefire at the end of november of 2023, it was only the day of sometimes a few hours before that, the families learned that their loved ones were on the list for that day. this time, in addition to that uncertainty, we also have the uncertainty of which of these hostages are going to emerge alive and which of them will be coming back to israel in body bags. our understanding is that not all of the 33 hostages are set to be released will be living hostages, although the majority are indeed expected to be, as the president lai

crowds are already gathering in tel aviv hostage square, demanding the israeli government seal the deal. and in gaza, scenes of jubilation as their long nightmare looks like it's coming to an end, at least for a while. and two senior administration officials say we should expect to hear from president biden on this deal. joining us now, nbc's raf sanchez, who has covered gaza and the hostage crisis extensively from the beginning. marc polymeropoulos is a former cia officer and msnbc national security and intelligence analyst and ambassador. dennis ross, msnbc foreign affairs analyst, counselor at the washington institute for near east policy and former special assistant to president obama. welcome to all of you. raf, we still haven't heard from prime minister benjamin netanyahu, but give us a sense of the reaction that you're hearing and what has to happen next. >> well, chris, you are seeing some of the reaction on your screen there in gaza. >> there is jubilation among people there that after 467 long and bloody days of war, they are now daring to hope that this conflict may finally b

benjamin netanyahu under pressure from the left and all of the protesters that have occupied hostage square more well over a year now. putting pressure on him and then coalition partners on the right who are saying don't dare sign a deal with hamas. there is a lot of politics at play here but the pressure on biden and pressure on netanyahu. >> as it relates to us in the u.s., you have two, strong competing factions here. and outgoing president an incoming president and both have high incentive to get this done. and perhaps to claim credit for getting it done. john, there is huge incentive on both sides at home. i would be very curious to understand how deeply incentive it is an competing factions in the government at this moment. >> sandra: we continue to watch live pictures. we will wait on new details to come out of the middle east especially benjamin netanyahu's office. with that statement following that is saying no deal yet that possibly tonight. they are working out every detail of their spiritual bill hemmer, thank you very much and also martha for coming on as well. john, we know th

what we saw here tonight at hostages square in tel aviv was thousands of people gathering to stand shoulder to shoulder in that moment, and no less among them the families of the hostages who may indeed be released as part of this agreement. i spoke tonight with the uncle of yarden bibas, that father of those two beautiful redheaded babies who you may remember being taken captive on october 7th. here's part of our conversation. everyone says that we are now on the cusp of this cease fire and hostage release deal between israel and hamas. how are you feeling at this very moment? >> wow. actually frightening to hell. you know. very frightening. you know, it's, uh, it's a kind of, you know, a, like i said, the carousel, you know, up and down right now, a roller coaster. terrifying roller coaster. yeah. terrified to hell. what, because we don't know. first of all, we don't know if it's going to happen. it looks like it's going to happen, but we don't know if it's going to happen. we don't know what we are going to get. who is going to come back, how they are going to come back, their physical c

hostag still needs to be negotiated. in israel, little celebration, in tel aviv square where the families of hostages usually gather, nbcthere. danielle. >> reporter: a few people gathered tonight, one telling me they want to see all the hostages back before they can celebrate. >> reporter: miller's cousin and children, a 10-month-old baby and 4-year-old boy were kidnapped. >> i will believe to everything when i will see it in my eyes, it's happening. i will believe it only in the second i see. >> reporter: this latest conflict began october 7th, hamas massacred more than 1,200 people and took 150 hostages, among them, 12 americans, three thought to be alive, two on the list for phase one release. lester spoke to the families of the americans, including the sister of the 20-year-old edan alexander, who is not on the list. >> it's been a year my best friend i was growing up with has just been gone from my life. i'm sorry. >> it's okay. >> it's been really difficult. >> reporter: in gaza tonight, people were hanging on every word, as news trickled in that a deal was ming. when it was confirmed, the streets were jammed, pa

as soon as sunday, hamas could begin handing over israeli hostages to israel, bringing new anticipation among friends and family in the square. president biden claimed the success. >> this is a cease-fire agreement i introduced last spring. >> reporter: in the deal agreed, phase one would last 42 days with hamas releasing 33 hostages including women, the elderly. israel would free dozens of detainees for each. and humanitarian aid would start flowing again. something civilians in gaza have been desperate for. in phase two of the agreement, another 42 days, hamas would release the remaining hostages, alive and dead, with the focus shifted to rebuilding gaza and who will govern it in the future. this brutal conflict was sparked by hamas led invasion of southern israel on october 7, 2023, more than 1,200 were massacred and taken into gaza. in retaliation, israel's military has obliterated much of the tiny strip in its goal to destroy hamas. after 466 days, more than 46,600 men, women, children have also been killed, says the ministry with thousands more believed buried under the rubble. >> a berkeley native was one among killed

square in tel aviv. obviously in anticipation for a deal. we spoke to the hostageom gaza and con units. this evening has descended there. —— con units. we take you to rome. we hope that the foreign minister, the israeli foreign minister, the israeli foreign minister, the israeli foreign minister is holding a joint news conference for that we're waiting for that to get under way. we will keep you up to date. but the lines we're getting at the moment say that joe biden and president cc of egypt are urging flexibility to try to achieve a gaza truth. —— gaza truce reported by the afp news agency. obviously the efforts are continuing. go greenjoe biden and the president discussed at a phone call the ongoing efforts carried on by cairo and washington. still to come on the world today — donald trump's pick for us secretary of defence pete hegseth was heckled several times at the senate armed forces services committee. we'll find out more about a british government minister who has resigned after growing pressure over an anti—corruption investigation in bangladesh. around

hostages released from the gaza strip. harris. >> harris: look, i was watching last night on social media and you know they were playing music in some of the squares around the country of israel and people praying and hoping that this could be true about the hostages. so i know that that country now sees some hope with regard to this. what i'm questioning is about who they're letting go, do we know? what is the exchange for these prisoners? and what do they anticipate will be the recidivism of killing among the terrorists and how soon? >> yeah, harris, i can tell you that surprisingly this hostage deal is not popular among all israelis. even some of the families of those being held inside gaza have expressed concern about the agreement on the table. but the israeli people are in a catch 22. they want their hostages home that were taken more than 15 months ago. but they also don't want to release convicted terrorists. but that is exactly what is going to happen. according to an israeli government source that i spoke with earlier this week. as part of this entire agreement, hundreds of palestinian prisoners will be released. among them people who ar

we are seeing the pictures from - seeing the pictures from hostage square and so many of those familieser. you touched upon it but tell me a little more. other hostage families have talked about the support you have been able to give each other. these have been excruciating days and weeks and months and over a year. just tell me more about that, about how you have been able to support each other. definitely. these peoplejust became my best friends in the world and we were all hoping for the same thing, for finally having a deal that will bring all the hostages back when i see a man whose sister might be coming home injust a see a man whose sister might be coming home in just a few days, we arejust thrilled coming home in just a few days, we are just thrilled with joy and we have been helping each other all along, and we have been helping each otherallalong, even and we have been helping each other all along, even when carmel was murdered, me and my sister and carmel�*s brother were all supported by this amazing family that is the hostage family. that is may be the biggest family in isra

aviv, we are seen buyers being lit, and as they have for months upon months, arriving there at hostage squarees. let's return to jerusalem, pictures of their loved ones. let's return tojerusalem, my colleague mark lowen, who was monitoring developments there, and mark, what is being said where you are, because we have had quite a lots of detail emerging from the hamas delegation that have been in qatar, but what are the israelis saying?- qatar, but what are the israelis saying? the israelis, we are still— israelis saying? the israelis, we are still waiting - israelis saying? the israelis, we are still waiting for - israelis saying? the israelis, we are still waiting for an - we are still waiting for an official source to come out on deck air, i think, we have not, last time i checked, we have not got an official israeli source coming out and confirming everything we have been reported, matthew, but given all the confirmations we have had from hamas, from donald trump we, clearly a deal has been done, but there has not been a press conference called by the israelis, they are still probably wai