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Isa Soares Tonight
Qatari Prime Minister Confirms Ceasefire-Hostage Deal Between Israel And Hamas; Biden Speaks After Israel And Hamas Agree To A Ceasefire; Hamas And Israel Agree To Ceasefire-Hostage Deal; Biden "Confident" Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Deal Will Hold; Miller Leads U.S. State Department News Conference. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired January 15, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): First question, will this agreement will reach a permanent ceasefire? Will the guarantees -- are the guarantees
strong enough so that the Israelis will implement all the closures(ph) of the agreement from now to Sunday? What is the situation like to be in the
Gaza Strip?
A third question, please. What had caused the success of the negotiations this time? And what has Qatar contributed this time? And how will role of
Qatar be like during the implementation of this agreement?
SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL THANI, PRIME MINISTER, QATAR (through translator): I have got lost with all these questions. You should ask me
only one question. Please, go back to the first question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Will this agreement this time be -- lead to a permanent ceasefire?
AL THANI: Yes, that's enough. Yes. Let me wait and ask the second question later. As to the implementation of this agreement, first, it depends on the
both sides that they really implement it in good faith, and that's what we hope.
As to the guarantees, the best guarantee is that both sides are committed to implement the agreement. Also, add to that, there are guarantees from
the other mediators to ensure that negotiations would carry on as well as the implementation and the measures. During the negotiations of the second
phase, during which the final withdrawal will take place and the end of the war will be declared.
There are other measures that will be taken during the next few days to improve and to strengthen that agreement. From Sunday until the start of
the implementation of the agreement on Sunday. How is it going to look like in the Gaza Strip? We're demanding that there will be calm from today until
Sunday. But both sides have agreed that the agreement requires a number of days so that it can be implemented properly.
We hope that within the next few days, there will be no more military operations. Any attacks. Final question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): What caused this? What caused -- why did the negotiations and the mediation succeed at this time?
AL THANI: Well, finally, it comes down to the two parties. We here in the state of Qatar or in the Arab Republic of Egypt, we are mediators. We are
trying to bridge the gap between both sides and convey our points of views. So, it depends on several factors. There are several things that changed. I
cannot go into details, but as I mentioned earlier, during the past few days, there was a lot of work from all partners. We worked as one team to
reach to this agreement today.
Continuous efforts in the past four days almost. There was continuous meetings with the attendance of the Egyptian, Qatari, the American and the
Egyptian delegations together, also with the presence of the two -- of the two sides. Thankfully, we have managed to reach an agreement today, at this
stage, we hope that it will be implemented --
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: We'll leave the Qatari Prime Minister for the time moment. Let's go to President Biden.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. For more than 15 months of conflict that began
with Hezbollah's brutal massacre on October the 7th, more than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families, the Israeli people, more than 15
months of suffering by the innocent people of Gaza fighting in Gaza will stop, and soon the hostages will return home to their families.
The elements of this deal are what I laid out in detail this past May, which was embraced by countries around the world and endorsed
overwhelmingly by the U.N. Security Council. The deal is structured in three phases. Phase one will last six weeks. It includes a full and
complete ceasefire, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas,
including women and elderly and the wounded.
And I'm proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release in phase one as well. And the Vice President and I cannot wait to welcome them
home. In exchange, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and during phase one, the Palestinians can also return to their neighborhoods
in all the areas of Gaza.
[14:05:00]
And the surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza will begin, and the innocent people can have a greater access to these vital supplies. You
know, during the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get phase two, which is a permanent end of the war. Let me
say it again, a permanent end of the war.
There are a number of details to negotiate, to move from phase one to phase two. But the plan says if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the
ceasefire will continue as long as the negotiations continue. I have spoken to the mayor of Kuwait and the President of Egypt, and we have pledged to
make sure the negotiations will keep moving forward for as long as it takes.
Then, when phase two begins, there will be an exchange for release of the remaining living hostages, including male soldiers and all remaining
Israeli forces will be withdrawn from Gaza, and the temporary ceasefire will become permanent. And finally, phase three, any final remains of
hostages who have been killed will be returned to their families, and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza will begin.
This is the ceasefire agreement I introduced last Spring. Today, Hamas and Israel have agreed to that ceasefire agreement, and the whole ending the
war. You know, those of you who have followed the negotiations can attest the road to this deal has not been easy. I've worked in foreign policy for
decades.
This is one of the toughest negotiations I've ever experienced, and we reached this point because of the pressure that Israel built on Hamas,
backed by the United States. Hamas' long-time leader Sinwar was killed. Hamas' strongest supporter Iran launched attacks in Israel, and those
attacks failed after my administration organized a coalition of nations to stop them.
And after I ordered the U.S. ships and planes to come to Israel's defense, we also shape Israel's strong and calibrated response, destroying Iran's
air defenses, but avoiding an escalatory cycle of an all-out war. The United States also organized a coalition of 20 countries to stand up to
attacks by the Houthis, including their missile attacks in Israel.
Then Hezbollah, another Hamas' strongest backers was significantly weakened on the battlefield, and its leadership was destroyed. With our support,
Israel's negotiated ceasefire with them, and after that, Lebanon finally elected a new President who is not -- who is not beholden to Hezbollah. And
he began a new chapter for the Lebanese people.
All told, these developments in the region, which the United States helped to shape, changed the equation. And so, now the terror network that once
protected and sustained Hamas is far weaker, Iran is weaker, Iran is weaker than it's been in decades. Hezbollah is badly degraded. And after more than
15 months of war, Hamas' senior leaders are dead.
Thousands of Hamas fighters are dead, and the military formations have been destroyed. With nowhere to turn, Hamas finally agreed to releasing
hostages. You know, there was no other way for this war to end than with a hostage deal. And I'm deeply satisfied this day has come, finally come for
the sake of the people of Israel and the families waiting in agony.
And for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war. The Palestinian people have gone through
hell. Too many innocent people have died. Too many communities have been destroyed. And this deal, the people of Gaza can finally recover and
rebuild.
They can look to a future without Hamas in power. You know, the Bible says, "blessed are the peacemakers", many peacemakers helped make this deal
happen, including an extraordinary team of American diplomats who have worked nonstop for months to get this done. Secretary Blinken led the
effort.
Secretary Jake Sullivan -- National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, Bill Burns, Jon Finer, Brett McGurk, Amos Hochstein, and the Vice President
worked relentlessly as we worked to deliver this deal.
[14:10:00]
I'd also note this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented for the most part by the
next administration. In these past few days, we've been speaking as one team. This has been a time of real turmoil in the Middle East. But as I
prepare to leave office, our friends are strong, our enemies are weak, and there's a genuine opportunities for a new future.
In Lebanon, there's an opportunity for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah. In Syria, a future free from the tyranny of Assad, and for the
Palestinian people, a credible, a credible pathway to a state of their own. And for the region, a future of normalization, integration of Israel and
all its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia.
At the G20 in Delhi in September 23, I rallied key countries behind a vision of an economic corridor, from India across the Middle East to
Europe. That vision can now become a reality. There are risks as well, including ISIS and Iran. Even in a badly-weakened state. But we're handing
off to the next team a real opportunity for a better future for the Middle East.
I hope they will take it. Let me close with this. My friend for years in the United States Senate, former Senator George Mitchell, who did so much
to forge peace in Northern Ireland once said about diplomacy. He said "it is a 700 days of failure and one day of success." Seven hundred days of
failure and one day of success.
Well, we've had many difficult days since Hamas began its terrible war. We've encountered roadblocks and setbacks. We've not given up. And now,
after more than 40 -- 400 days of struggle, a day of success has arrived. God bless all the hostages and their families, and may God protect the
troops of all those who work for peace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, how do you see the future of Gaza now, as you're saying, the implementation of this deal will be in the hands of
the next administration. And basically, they will shape the future of Gaza. So, how do you see this future, and also how much credit do you give to the
Trump team for this deal? Trump is already taking credit for it.
BIDEN: Well, you know, this is the exact framework of the deal I proposed back in May. Exact. And we got the world to endorse it. Secondly, it's
America's support for Israel that helped them badly weaken Hamas and its backers and create the conditions for this deal. And thirdly, I knew this
deal would have to be implemented by the next team.
So, I told my team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure we're all speaking with the same voice, because that's what American
Presidents do.
(CROSSTALK)
BIDEN: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will hold --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the -- how many Americans will be released when the hostages are being released?
BIDEN: All the exact detail of how many people are being held, how many bodies will be returned, nonetheless, will all be forthcoming. All of it.
All of it. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That this deal will hold?
BIDEN: I'm confident. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Folks, credit for this, Mr. President. You or Trump?
BIDEN: Is that a joke?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No --
BIDEN: Oh, thank you.
SOARES: A very good evening, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. We begin with breaking news. In the last 13 minutes or so, you have heard from the U.S.
President, President Biden, and we have heard from the Qatari Prime Ministers -- Prime Minister, pardon me. Both of them stating what of
course, many have been asking for long overdue in Israel, in Palestine, a term, an agreement to this deal.
We've now heard a hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. We've also heard from the Prime Minister that a ceasefire will continue
past the first phase as long as talks are underway. We will talk to the contours of this deal. But what we understand from President Biden is, it's
the same deal that was in place, he said back in May.
But he spoke there. The 15 months of terror and suffering for hostages and the people of Gaza, who he said have gone through hell. So, what exactly is
in that first phase of the deal? Becky Anderson, my colleague was in Doha. She was listening to that as the Qatari Prime Minister spoke. Talk us
through that, Becky, how that first phase will -- the choreography of that first phase rather.
[14:15:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and to your point about Joe Biden calling this out as exactly the deal that he had proposed back in
May, it is very similar to that. It has to be said. But the point was, he wasn't able to get that deal over the line.
And the Prime Minister here in Qatar just moments ago at the press conference in the room where I am now, very much applauding the efforts in
the first instance, he said of Steve Witkoff, who is Trump's envoy for the Middle East, and Brett McGurk, who is Joe Biden's Middle East coordinator.
As a team, he said they were crucial in getting this deal across the table. So, what does this deal look like? Well, what we know is, it will be
implemented on the 19th of January. That is Sunday, the day before, of course, President or President-elect Donald Trump, soon to be President
Trump is inaugurated.
It is in its first phase, 42 days. During that phase, 33 hostages will be released from captivity in Gaza by those who are holding them there. This
is 33 of what is believed to be the 94 hostages who are still being held. Sadly, I think it is clear now that many of those hostages haven't actually
survived.
But at some point, their bodies will be removed from Gaza and repatriated home. So, in the first instance, 33 hostages that will include children,
women, the injured and people over the age of 50. Thirty three of those hostages will be returned home. And this is in exchange for Palestinian
prisoners being held in Israeli detention.
It is not clear until we see the actual detail of the deal just how many Palestinian prisoners will be exchanged for these 33 Israeli hostages in
the first 42 days. But the number is believed to be in the hundreds, if not a thousand or so. So, that detail still to be revealed at this point. Also,
the Israeli army will be withdrawing in a staggered fashion away from the Philadelphia corridor, for example, and towards the beach -- in the --
towards the east.
Eventually, as we understand it from our sources, the Israeli forces will withdraw to a buffer zone on the border with Gaza. Palestinians will be
allowed to return home to their homes in the northern part of the Strip. That is very important. And crucially, for Palestinians in Gaza. The Prime
Minister here said that there will be a surge in humanitarian aid.
Again, the details not clear as of yet. We are hearing as many as 600 trucks of aid a day will be let in. But again, we can't stand that up as of
yet. Look, this is a first phase on -- at some point, and we believe that's likely to be day 16 of this first phase. The negotiations will begin for a
second phase, which is intended to end this war.
Is there an enormous amount of confidence about whether this deal will go beyond phase one? Well, that depends on who you speak to here. But
certainly, when I asked the Qatari Prime Minister what sort of confidence he had, that this deal will continue past phase one, and what sort of
mechanisms there are in place to ensure that it moves beyond phase one, and progress is made towards an end of this conflict.
He said they have mechanisms in place. They will work alongside the U.S. and the Egyptians. The other two key mediators in this to ensure that
things work on the ground, but didn't give any further detail. It had to be said on exactly how that is going to work. So, have we got an end to this
war? Well, temporarily. Have we got relief for the hostage families hoping that their loved ones will be returned whether alive or dead.
Yes, hopefully. Certainly for the first 42 days, although, of course, that is not the entirety of those hostages held. They -- some of those will have
to wait until the second phase of this. Do -- Palestinian prisoners who have been detained by the Israelis get to leave? Some of those may be
prisoners who have deemed to have killed Israelis.
There are some, it seems, who are on the list to be released. But what we have to underscore is the importance of this being the first six weeks. Can
we get beyond this first six weeks? That's still a question that needs to - - is as yet unanswered.
[14:20:00]
But six weeks certainly in the can at this point. Let's hope that ceasefire, that temporary ceasefire holds for that first six weeks, and
that negotiators can get back at the table and ensure that we can get beyond this, because ultimately, what the people of Palestine and many
people in Israel and many people around the world want is a silencing of the guns in Gaza completely and for the last time. Isa?
SOARES: Yes, a moment -- a moment that many people have been waiting for. Becky, these have been fraught negotiations stopped and started as you were
talking, Becky, we were looking at live images. These are from Tel Aviv, the protesters. I saw those protesters about an hour ago calling for
stopping the war.
We saw scenes of jubilation also in Khan Younis. But like you pointed out, Becky, this is only phase one, and Kevin Liptak, stay with us, Becky. And
Kevin Liptak, the second phase will fall under the Trump administration here, and already he's taking some of that credit.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: He's taking all of the credit, Isa. He says that this deal wouldn't have been struck unless he was
elected President back in November, trying to make the case that the pressure that he was applying, at least, through his words, was what was
able to bring this deal over the finish line.
And certainly, President Trump had made very clear that he wanted this to be finished before he took office. And that was one of the reasons he
directed his envoy, Steve Witkoff, to coordinate very closely with President Biden's envoy, Brett McGurk, to try and apply pressure on all of
the sides to get this deal done.
But you're right, and President Biden acknowledged this too, the rest of the implementation of this deal will happen under the Trump administration.
So, the work is not done. And I think for President Trump, that's going to be a challenge going forward is how to try and bring these sides to further
agreement to fully end this war, which is something that President Trump very much wants to do.
And it was interesting to hear President Biden in that speech. This was clearly an address that he has been wanting to deliver for a very long
time, all the way back in May, when he first unveiled the parameters of this deal. And throughout the Summer, when so often it seemed as if these
two sides were getting closer to a deal, only to have it fall apart at the last minute.
That had caused an enormous amount of frustration inside the White House. You saw in President Biden's demeanor and his remarks that this is a moment
to celebrate. But I think in reality, it's a bittersweet moment because he is not able to really reap any of the political benefits of this deal. He
will no longer be President in a matter of days.
Instead, I think what he's trying to speak to, is his legacy here. And he talked about the prospect of a reshaped Middle East as a result of this
agreement, and then as a result of the war in Gaza ending. That is something that he had been long pursuing. You know, the central aspect of
it being a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
His hope is that the Trump administration will carry that on. By their own record, in the first Trump administration, it seems as if something that
Trump would be interested in. But at the end of the day, Biden won't really have a role in executing that. He is about to leave office and it will fall
to President Trump to really take this and carry the torch into the second and third phase of this deal.
SOARES: Kevin Liptak for us there in Washington, our Becky Anderson in Qatar, as we heard the Qatari Prime Minister breaking that news, confirming
a deal has been agreed between Israel and Hamas. Thank you to you both. Let's get perspective now from Daniel Levy, who is a former Israeli
government adviser.
He's now President of the U.S.-Middle East Project; an independent policy institute. Daniel, good to see you. Look, you and I have spoken on many
occasions. When is this going to come to an end? When are hostages going to return home? When is the war going to end in Gaza? What do you make of what
is being reached, at least in this first phase, we're getting details of the second and the third, but let's start on that first phase, Daniel.
DANIEL LEVY, PRESIDENT, U.S.-MIDDLE EAST PROJECT: Yes, absolutely. Hopefully, we are all actually in the deal now. Implementation is going to
be a very bumpy road. There will be issues to do with the schedules, not only of the Israelis being released, but of Palestinian prisoners who will
be released, synchronized with that.
The Israeli troop withdrawals, the entry of humanitarian aid long prevented by Israel. One of the reasons there are International Criminal Court arrest
warrants because of those war crimes. The ability of Palestinians to move in Gaza, all that is going to have to be pored over and maintained just to
get through implementation of the first phase.
But we heard something, I think, staggering tonight, Isa. We heard President Biden tell us this was the same deal that was on the table,
basically exactly the same deal.
[14:25:00]
And therefore, the question that goes back to that President is, and why only now is it happening? And the President, outgoing Biden answered his
own question. He answered it by repeating what he has done. Let's excuse him that he said he spoke to the Emir of Kuwait when he spoke to the Emir
of Qatar, OK?
But we will be told, isn't this great? Outgoing administration worked with incoming administration -- credit to everyone. But what we really saw
tonight is why there has not been a deal until there's been a new President. Because President Biden walked us through all the Israeli
talking points, which is what he has done, and that is why President Netanyahu -- sorry, Prime Minister Netanyahu neither feared nor respected
the Biden team.
McGurk failed. Sullivan failed. Blinken failed. Biden failed. I'm not saying that Trump is going to be the man to bring peace. No, the Republican
Trump administration ecosystem will not be friendly to Palestinians, clearly. But if they want to get this done, they can get it done and they
have got it done, not Biden team.
Because Netanyahu looked at them and said they'll do lots of things that the Israeli right-wing wants, but will they do the things that I
personally, Netanyahu, my personal political calculation, and that's what's prevented a deal so far. His personal political calculation. Will they do
the things --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: That I need? And he's not sure of that. Therefore, he had to -- had to act differently.
SOARES: Yes, and hearing that the ceasefire is the agreement I introduced last Spring, he said, and this is a question that we have been asking here
because it talks to the lives that could have been saved on both sides if that deal had gone ahead. Which then begs the question, how much was Trump
the factor that changed this?
Maybe Prime Minister Netanyahu didn't have the -- President Biden didn't have the leverage enough leverage with Prime Minister Netanyahu? What can
we expect, then, for President-elect Trump as we look ahead to phase two, which will then -- he has to oversee, Daniel?
LEVY: Yes, Biden had the leverage, he refused to use it. Trump kind of has the leverage by virtue of being Trump. Yes, well, we will be given a
victory narrative and victory narratives matter, but narratives are one thing, reality is another. And the reality is, despite everything we've
been told, Hamas is not defeated.
Hamas has killed 15 Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza in the last week. It is still there. There will be no total victory. So, if you want to get to
the final phase, you're also going to have to recognize that reality. Netanyahu didn't want to get to this point because it destabilizes his
coalition, and because he knows that once you get on this path, it's not impossible to step off.
I imagine he will try, and it's very likely he will be successful very possibly with the support of the Trump administration. But the opposite
right now, the one that means that this could follow through, is that in Israel, the families of those who have not yet been released will intensify
their pressure. The humanitarian situation will become more aware of.
You'll probably finally have journalists on the ground at CNN, Isa, who will show us the hellscape that is Gaza --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: And hopefully, there will be a dynamic that makes it more difficult, but it's not going to be anything like easy either, to get to the end of
this first phase of implementation or to get beyond it, because the politics still stacks towards whether it's Gaza or the West Bank or things
that are continuing in Syria or Lebanon, we haven't even talked about Iran.
The politics still stacks towards a promiscuity when it comes to what Israel can do, which is not going to be good for regional stability. And
that's going to be the real uphill struggle.
SOARES: Daniel Levy, as always, appreciate your insight. Finally, we have some good news, right? Daniel, this is very good --
LEVY: Exactly --
SOARES: Right? This is what we all wanted. Thank you very much --
LEVY: Look at the families, the people in Gaza --
SOARES: Yes --
LEVY: The prisoners, you know, we have to hope that this now carries forward. Thank you, Isa.
SOARES: And thank you very much, Daniel, these are the scenes that we have been seeing. Khan Younis scenes, we've also been seeing in Israel as we
wait for more information. But the deal has been done long overdue as Daniel and I were saying, we were just talking about. We've just heard also
the last few seconds from the U.N. Secretary-General welcoming the deal announcement.
This is Antonio Guterres saying that he commended mediators Qatar. We heard from Egypt and the United States for quote, "their dedicated efforts in
brokering the deal", and he called on all parties to uphold the commitments and fully implement the deal, and said the ceasefire must remove obstacles
to delivering aid to Gaza amid the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the enclave.
We're going to continue on this breaking news, do stay right here, we'll be taking a break, we're back in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:33:42]
SOARES: If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date. The breaking news that we've been following here for the last hour and a half
or so, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal that will pause fighting in Gaza and lead to a phased release of hostages as well as Palestinian
prisoners.
I want to go to my colleague, CNN anchor and senior global affairs analyst, Bianna Golodryga. She is live in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv. And I can see,
Bianna, that's slightly more lively than what we saw the past hour. And now, we have -- now, that we've heard from President Biden and we have
heard from the Qataris.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR, ONE WORLD AND CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes, that's right, Isa. We've actually moved our location. We're
standing -- you can't see it. It's just behind the camera. But we're standing in front of the ministry of defense where there have been daily
protests for months now.
But we had a livelier group of protesters here earlier, and it appears to have been a group that viewed this as not a victory at all, was against any
sort of deal, at least the way it is laid out now in the multiple phases.
But, you know, what is difficult for many Israelis to swallow is that while this first phase would see the release of 33 hostages, and as President
Biden made news there, among those would be Americans, the majority of hostages would remain in Gaza. More than 30 are believed to be dead. That
is from the Israeli government and their confirmation. Sadly, that number is likely higher as well.
[14:35:00]
But a number of men who are of military age will not be part of the initial phase. And one of them, if his name looks familiar, if his face looks
familiar, Avinatan Or. He's 30 years old. So, he didn't meet the qualifications for an initial phase one given that he is not over the age
of 50. He is the boyfriend of Noa Argamani. You'll recall, she was one of the four hostages who was rescued over the summer in July. Both she and her
boyfriend were kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival. But this is just a representation of the people who will not be coming home, at least not in
those first six weeks of phase one, where we will be seeing the hostages, the 33 hostages every few days released.
And so, we heard from President Biden. He is happy with this deal finally being solidified. He was highlighting the fact that this was done with the
cooperation of the Trump administration here in Israel. There is still a lot of anticipation about, yes, a deal is here, but people will believe it
when they see it, especially those family members of the 33 hostages who are part of phase one.
And sadly, there is concern that what has been a unified front among the hostage families, all 98 of them now, is that they have been fighting in
one voice, and that is the release of all the hostages given the way this deal is breaking down.
Sadly, they're going to have to be sectioned off, where 33 will be coming home and while for so many of these families who are not part of the 33,
they are excited and happy to see some of these Israeli hostages home. Of course, one can imagine the frustration, the pain that they are feeling
knowing that their loved ones will not be among that first group, at least not in the first six weeks of this deal, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, and that must be so heart wrenching knowing that, you know, you'll have to wait for maybe the second phase. And I actually heard from
one family of the hostage, Bianna, and -- you know, and that was the concern, the concern was, what is -- what if there is no phase two? And
that's some of the protesters that we have seen stop the war, right? One placard said, get out of Gaza.
So, speak to the implementation of this going to phase two. I mean, now we wait for the political hurdles of Netanyahu's side, right? That still needs
-- that's the next step on the Israeli side.
GOLODRYGA: Yes, that is the next step. He is likely to be able to have a lifeline if for no other reason than members of the opposition like Yair
Lapid have offered to step in if some of those far-right members of his coalition do follow through on some of their earlier threats of disbanding
the government and leaving, that is from Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben- Gvir. They are not in agreement with this deal. They do not support this deal. But thus far, they have not said that they would leave the
government.
So, for now, it doesn't appear that Prime Minister Netanyahu, his leadership and his government is in jeopardy. But the longer this goes on,
obviously, the more difficult it becomes. The harder it is to tell the remaining hostage families that their loved ones will not be coming home.
But the harder it also will be to quell some of those on the far-right who do not want to see Israeli troops leaving Gaza anytime soon.
So, this is the conundrum. On the one hand, phase one, if it is implemented in its entirety over the course of six weeks, you will see 33 hostages come
home. The question is then what happens with phase two? We will be seeing an immense more amount of aid going into Gaza as well. But as we have seen
the ceasefire in Lebanon, case and point, there have been violations to ceasefires in the past, especially given how fragile and tenuous these
situations are right now between Hamas and the Israeli government.
So, there's still a lot of uncertainty here. The first phase, hopefully, will be started in just a matter of days. But as you can see from family
members and friends of those hostages who will not be included in phase one, they are very concerned about the hurdles that remain and that could
keep their loved ones even longer in Gaza.
SOARES: Yes. Indeed. Bianna, appreciate it. Bianna Golodryga there for us in Tel Aviv. Thanks very much, Bianna.
And of course, as we heard from President Biden in the last 20 minutes, he did say that the ceasefire will continue past phase one as long as talks
are on the way. So, getting to that phase two, of course, is critical as long as the talks continue on all sides.
[14:40:00]
Let's get more on this. I want to bring in Laila El-Haddad, a Palestinian- American journalist and author. Laila, appreciate you being with us as we cover this breaking news. Look, this is a moment that so many of us have
been waiting for, that the Palestinian people have been waiting for, families of the hostages have been waiting for. Just give me your reaction,
first of all, Laila, to this first phase of what has been agreed.
LAILA EL-HADDAD, PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR: Oh, I mean, I really don't know where to start. It's -- obviously, I was just speaking
with my family in Gaza. They're all breathing a huge sigh of relief, but are also cautiously optimistic. You know, depending on who I speak to,
they're obviously scattered all over the Gaza Strip. Some in the north, some in the center, some in the south.
And as you mentioned, you know, Israel has been known to sabotage these deals before. And so, that's why everyone's cautiously optimistic. There's
a lot of unknowns as well about the different phases, the implementation. the details.
But I think overall, we can all agree that this is long overdue, and I think that it is going to be a stain on this administration, the Biden
administration for their refusal to use American leverage to enforce -- to force essentially what I understand to be the same deal as what had been
proposed months ago. And I think that those tens of thousands of dead Palestinian children who were killed are going to haunt them forever,
Blinken and Biden and the rest of them.
SOARES: Yes. And --
EL-HADDAD: But for now, it is -- go ahead. Yes.
SOARES: No, I was going to say, on that point, when we heard from President Biden, Laila, he said the ceasefire is the agreement I introduced last
spring, right? Which then begs exactly that question that you're posing, where was the leverage? Why is it taking this long? Why couldn't we get it
through the line then?
EL-HADDAD: And this is, I think, the question that everyone is asking. And, you know, I think knows the answer to, he just didn't want to. He didn't --
you know, he wasn't using American leverage, wasn't really super interested in seeing this happen.
I mean, essentially, what he said just now was parroting Israeli talking points. It sounded like it was, you know, the Israeli speaking, not the
Americans. And so, I think that gives us an indication as to why we didn't see a ceasefire deal before.
But you know, I think also it speaks to what a lot of people understood before, you know, which is why so many sat out during the election, whether
you like the guy or not, he's a deals person. And I think just because of the set of circumstances, the political realities that were under the
people that he's hired and so on, who will this ultimately be attributed to? I think, you know, certainly not -- I know Biden's trying to take
credit for it, but I -- as you saw that last reporter asking that question, probably in the press conference, who's responsible for this?
But I think it's the reality speaks otherwise. It's ultimately clear that I don't think this is a win for the Biden administration. And I don't think
you could say it's a win for the Israelis either.
SOARES: Yes. Well, Biden taking credit, President-Elect Trump taking credit for it as well, as you probably saw from some of his comments on Truth
Social. But I wonder if -- you know, I'm guessing you've spoken to your family, and you talked about, you know, cautious, the -- you know, the
fear, of course, of what may happen in the weeks ahead, because now it depends on progressing not just phase one, but mechanism, who oversees
this, concerns over this being violated. What do you advise your family then, Laila?
EL-HADDAD: I mean, I -- you know, I spoke with several of them. And, you know, interestingly, they had a lot of very practical concerns. My eldest
cousin in Central Gaza, just beyond sort of what I call the point of no return, the Netzarim Corridor, said, well, how are we supposed to get back
if we can't use our cars? Because that was an important point, I think, that people had to walk home.
And for those who don't know, that journey takes about 10 hours to walk on foot with all of the belongings you've -- whatever belongings you might've
accumulated over the course of the past year and a half.
Second point is, what are people returning to? Because something like 90 percent of all structures and buildings and so on in Gaza have been
destroyed, especially in the north. And in the far north, of course, Israel has said that it will retain control over up to, I think, 700 meters, the
so-called buffer zone into Gaza. And what I understood is that they would also retain control over critically that Netzarim Corridor, that bisects
Gaza into north and south.
[14:45:00]
So, I think these are all the points that they're thinking about. They're also thinking about the, you know, hundreds of Palestinians who have been
abducted, kidnapped from Gaza, including scores of children. There's something like 340 children who are administrative detainees detained by
the Israelis without charge. And that's not including Gaza, not including the children who have been taken from Gaza. You know, their whereabouts are
unknown.
So, who's going to be included in these prisoner swaps? Where are people returning to -- you know, there's also still going to be half the day where
so-called aerial activity, drone activity, quadcopter activity that is extremely dreaded and feared in Gaza, will still be permitted by the
Israelis. Meaning they will continue to monitor potentially, you know, shoot at people and so on.
And so, those are the kinds of things that I think they're thinking about now. I think really critically thinking on the macro level, the mechanisms
that allow Israel effective control over Gaza, not just now, but for decades, and especially over the past 18 years of, you know, brutal
punishing blockade are still in place.
And that might seem like something in the, you know, distant future for now, but if that critically crucially isn't addressed, then this will, I
fear quickly collapse sometime soon.
AMANPOUR: And that obviously -- you know, that we're looking at phase two, but that in that part of phase two, it's also about how then do you
transform the ceasefire into an end of the war? And then, we're looking potentially at the political aspect of this. The reform of P.A., the
Palestinian Authority. I mean, are we trying to run before we can walk here?
EL-HADDAD: I mean, it's hard to say. All those questions have been going through my mind, really a lot of like a roller coaster of emotions. Because
on one hand, you know, extreme relief for my family. I feel like I'm not in a position to even speak or analyze or pontificate about what this means
for them, which is why I kind of wanted to honor their words and their wishes, because they've been, you know, bearing the brunt of this,
everything from genocide to ecocide to scholasticide, torture and starvation and so on.
But you're right, that was one of the concerns that one family member raised. He said to me, I just fear that when this -- you know, the initial
elation has died down, when the first phase ends and so on, we're going to then be transformed into a mini-West Bank, right? Governance sort of a --
Gaza will become a series of Bantustans, just like the West Bank, and we're going to see a Palestinian Authority type governance, corrupt,
subcontracting, doing the Israelis dirty work for them within Gaza. And he said that's one of the things that they fear the most.
SOARES: And we are grateful that you are sharing some of their fears, as well as their hopes with us, Laila. It's so important to hear from them,
but an important day, pivotal day, a day that has been long overdue, as you're saying. Happy to hear that your family are well. Happy to hear
they're welcoming this. Laila El-Haddad, really appreciate your time. Thank you, Laila.
EL-HADDAD: It was my pleasure. Thank you for having me.
SOARES: We are going to go to the State Department, I believe, who is talking. Let's have a listen.
MATTHEW MILLER, SPOKESPERSON, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: We hope they will seize on this momentum and the opportunity it provides. The ceasefire
announced today opens the door to breaking the cycle of violence that has long plagued the region. If leaders there are finally prepared to make the
tough decisions necessary.
Before walking down here, I watched video feeds from both Gaza and Tel Aviv. And in both places, I saw the same outpouring of joy, of hope, that
this long and bloody conflict that has left so many dead and wounded and homeless might finally be coming to an end. The United States shares in
that hope, and we have worked over the past months to do what we can to make it a reality.
This ceasefire is an important achievement and is now incumbent upon everyone in the region, and in the United States to do what they can to
turn it into a lasting peace. And with that, Matt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Well, welcome back. It's been a while.
MILLER: I think someone messed with my podium, too. It's a little low. Yes. It has been a while since I've been here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Welcome back to the podium --
MILLER: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- and bye.
MILLER: You know, Matt, I can always count on you to be sentimental. And I -- thank you for carrying forward that same amount of sentimentality today.
If that's it, if you don't want any questions, I'm happy to leave and make it by right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I just wanted to -- before starting off -- before starting out I just wanted to say, look, thank you very much for your
service and your willingness to be up here every day. Well, except for the last month.
[14:50:00]
MILLER: You know, I was -- there was a holiday followed by a week when I was on the road with the secretary. So, I do think I have a legitimate
excuse. Yes. I didn't enjoy those studies. I was on the road.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, right. Anyway, but yes, no --
MILLER: Thank you, Matt.
SOARES: You've been listening there briefly to Matthew Miller talking about, of course, this Hamas and Israel deal that it has been -- hostage
deal that has been reached after 15 months, 15 long months of war. He says he's talking about the outpouring of joy, which we, of course, have shown
you on the streets of Khan Younis. We have seen also protests in Israel, as we heard from Bianna Golodryga and many there disagree with this deal and
the fact that they should include all hostages, not just the 33 that will be part of phase one.
So, relief, of course, many people happy that this deal has been signed in Israel, but many unhappy that perhaps their loved one might be coming home.
And in Khan Younis, these are the scenes that you have been seeing. We'll continue on this breaking news. We'll return after short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: If you're just joining, let me bring you up to date, the breaking news, the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal has been reached after 15 months
of war. We have heard from President Biden and we have heard from the Qatari prime minister as well, giving us some details of the contours of
this agreement.
Let's bring in reporter Susan Glasser, a staff writer in The New Yorker, a well-known face here on CNN. And Susan, appreciate you being with us for
this breaking news long hour. Appreciate your patience. Let me just start really with really your reaction, the moment that's been long overdue for
both sides. And we heard from President Biden saying that this was the deal that was on the table -- that he put on the table back in spring.
SUSAN B. GLASSER, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER: Yes, that's right. Of course, the most important thing is, you know, it hasn't taken effect yet.
And, you know, we've all seen too many premature declarations of deals being reached to want to celebrate until those hostages are home, until you
know, the attacks inside Gaza stop and Palestinian civilians there, you know, feel that they can breathe again. So, you know, caveating that we --
you know, we shouldn't celebrate until it takes effect.
[14:55:00]
What's notable, of course, about this is that it is very similar to the deal that's been on the table, proposed and pushed and advocated by
President Biden for months. What's different? The difference is the U.S. election. And the fact that Donald Trump is about to take office next week.
You already have a pretty unseemly spectacle, I would say, in a way of Biden taking credit for the deal, Trump taking credit for the deal even
before it was formally announced and agreed to by the party. So, you know, American politics are inescapably hanging over the context in which this
deal is occurring.
SOARES: Which really shows where there's a will, really there's a way. And we heard from the Qatari prime minister talking about the, you know, why
now, and he talked to -- spoke of the momentum in the last month, in the past few days. And he talked to the collaboration between both
administrations. I mean, that must be pretty unique.
GLASSER: Absolutely. I'm really struck by the fact that you have this very unusual situation where you had the senior officials, the most senior
officials of the U.S. government, the head of the CIA, the secretary of state, the national security adviser, directly involved in this. At the
same time, you had President Trump's incoming Middle East envoy actually flying to the region to be part of the talks as well.
And so, it's really a split screen situation where you have them working behind the scenes together. But then, immediately sniping over the
political credit. You know, those are very much at odds with each other in some ways.
SOARES: And we've got about 45 seconds left. But the next phase of this, once phase one is done, will fall, of course, on President-Elect Trump
here.
GLASSER: Yes. I mean, one thing to watch out for is that Trump, you know, is not necessarily the kind of blind cheerleader for Netanyahu that many
might have imagined. He really had soured on Netanyahu by the end of his first term in office, and I think he'll be willing to pressure Netanyahu as
he decides what his Mideast policy is going to be.
SOARES: Susan, appreciate it. Thank you very much. Finally, we have some good breaking news to bring to people. Thank you very much indeed. Do stay
right here. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. Thank you very much for your company.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
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