breaking news. >> and welcome back to our coverage of the israel-hamas war. i'm wolf blitzer in tel aviv. we're learning that the third group of hostages has been released to the red cross. today 17 hostages are being delivered to freedom. the idf said the most recent group of hostages includes both israelis and foreigners. we have heard from american officials that they have hoped that one american would be among the latest transfer of those held in hamas captivity in gaza. we're watching all of these dramatic developments unfold. i want to start with oren liebermann here in tel aviv. i know we're being briefed. give us the latest. >> right now we're expecting the release of a total of 17, 14 israeli citizens and that includes ann israeli russian citizen and three foreign nationals. if we look at the first part of the agreement that we hope will be continued, it was for 50 israeli hostages. that means as of right now, we have 13, 13 and 14. so that is a total of 40 at this point. if my quick math is creck there. and we look for this to continue over the course of the next several hours. we've seen how long it could take for this to play out. from hamas to the idf and then stray to the hospitals. we've seen as least as of today, so far it has played out without the road blocks and the problems that require intense diplomatic efforts. we don't see that right now. we've heard that didn't happen. so this process is now playing out much smoother and more quickly than it did yesterday. >> because yesterday there was delay after delay, for hours. we don't know what was going on and now things are move ago cording to plans. >> there was questions yesterday whether the deal would fall apart. hamas accused israel of not letting in the proper amount of aid and israel accused hamas of breaking up families and that put the deal at race. the qataris and president biden stepping in there to make sure this doesn't fall apart. the u.s. viewed this as a test period and there was a risk that it would fall apart. now here we are at day three, the process of the release has begun and we look forward to hopefully day four with certainly not certain yet but the possibility that there could be an extension. >> and we assume that the transfer will be along the lines of what happened for example yesterday, they will be aboard the red cross vehicles and will go through rafah from gaza into egypt and then what? >> they crossed through other places earlier in the agreement, now we wait to see. the air base was not used yesterday. there are different routes. we'll see as the evening goes on here. it is in the early evening hours. we'll see how this plays out over the course of the next few hours. the health of the hostages. the biggest issue from purely the physical side appears to be malnutrition. in fact, the family of karen munder said she and her mother lost between six to eight kilos, that is tremendous weight loss. they say that is largely because of diet for days on end was only pita bread and there was some rice and bread. but certainly not enough. we've even had a chance to speak to some of the doctors who treated the patients who say, look this was the most serious physical issue. they have had tremendous malnutrition and that is one of the big issues. that doesn't touch on the mental health aspect of being held in captivity. that process is just beginning. >> ab when the hostages do reach israel, they will immediately receive at least some medical examination before their actually transported by helicopter or plane or vehicle to a hospital in israel? >> the quickest of medical checkups as soon as possible. when they cross that border into the hands of the idf. that is just to make sure that there are no serious injuries and that sends this em to a hospital in southern israel. we saw one freed hostage transferred there yesterday. but the more serious checks will be done at the group of hospitals that will take them in and begin the recovery process. >> tay with me. because we're watching all of this unfold. there is major breaking news. force the first time now also a u.s. citizen is expected to be among the hostages released by hamas today. i want to go to arlette saenz. she's covering the president of the united states up in nantucket, massachusetts, where he is right now. you have this part of thetory. he's been spending the thanksgiving holiday week where you are. what is latest? what are you hear being an american being released? >> reporter: well white house officials are watching the latest release waiting for news if american citizen was part of the third group of hostages released out of gaza. today jake sullivan told dana bashes that the u.s. has reason to believe that one american citizen will be part of this release and they have a good sense of who that was but unable to confirm who they anticipate this american citizen who will be released by hamas to be. there are three americans that officials have said fall into the category of the 50 women and children that are expected to be released over the course of the four-day pause. that includes two women who the u.s. have not named an the young girl abigail adan, a 3-year-old taken captive by hamas and turned 4 years old on friday. the white house has been very eager to get her back home to her family. and jake sullivan will not confirm if she is part of the group but there is growing optimism to get her out of gaza and officials have been working around the clock to try to ensure that the deal remains on track to get the larger group out but to get the americans out. the white house has said they are hopeful that the three americans will be leaving gas youa in the coming day as part of this deal but they want to make sure that the implementation has been able to go forward as planned. joe biden talking with qatar about anything that needs to be cleared, are cleared. it is not just the three american women and children, but there are in total about 10 americans who are unaccounted for and missing. jake sullivan said they didn't know the whereabouts of the american citis but they're hopeful to get them out at some point. president biden is still here in nantucket. he's scheduled to leave around 1:30 before he heads to the white house. we'll see if we hear from him later today on the latest release. but jake sullivan did say they are hoping for a good day as they are hoping there will be one american citizen coming out of gaza. >> and i think it is really significant as you report, that president biden has been the phone with qatari leaders who have been deally involved in trying to mediate all of this to make sure this is all as planned. we'll get back to you. if you get more information we'll come back to you right away. part of deal was to deliver much more humanitarian aid, medical supplies and food and water and fool to gaza. and we have belief that is happening. and i want to go to larry who is jibing us from cairo right now. what is the situation on the ground as far as you know? >> reporter: wolf, we've seen dozens of aid trucks make it from egypt across the rafah crossing into gaza today. the last that we heard was that at least 100 trucks had made it through. but a warning here, that is just talks that have come from across border into gaza and being distributed because once they go past egypt, they go through an israeli checkpoint where they have reverified and then allowed back up into gaza where they are unloaded and reloaded into trucks and run by humanitarian agencies selling them across the gaza strip and today we have confirmation from the res crescent that at least another 100 trucks have made it to gaza. yesterday this deal was delayed for hours claiming there was not enough trucks. one of the trucks made it into northern gaza and bringing relief supplies and food and water and bringing other essential first aid materials for people needed in northern g gaza that's been badly hit by bombardment. we have confirmation that the hostages have been handed over to the red cross. we're watching that rafah border crossing and at same time this could only happen because aid keeps coming in and that is an if important part of the deal. if that doesn't happen, the whole thing falls apart. one more day as efforts to try to make sure this comes in longer which the aid agencies have been saying, there is a lot greater need. the u.n. telling cnn today that they need 200 trucks to come in every day for two months to meet the needs of so many people who have been displaced, 1.7 million since this con flick broke out on october 7th. >> larry, good work. we'll get back to you. stay there. we'll be in touch. oren liebermann is still with us. part of the deal is that the aid goes to gaza and hundreds of trucks are gearing up to bring humanitarian supplies and food and fuel and water and all sorts of badly needed supplies to the people in gaza. at the same time hostages are being handed over to the red cross, which is very significant. but amid all of this there is a temporary truce. there is no continued israeli air or ground assault going on. that is part of the agreement as well. >> it is an absolutely critical part of the agreement and in that one question you get the whole time line by which this has to play out and it is on a day-by-day basis. and the truth has to hold and from first few minutes, a couple of days ago, it has. and because of that, that has allowed the humanitarian aid to go in. more trucks have gone in since october 7th. it is not just entering gaza, it has to get to northern gaza and that is one of the stumbling blocks yesterday and slows the process of the release of the hostages and led to the whole diplomatic necessity of the u.s. and the qatari stepping in to make sure this happens. this has to get into gaza and northern gaza an that is one of the major issues. that aid continues to flow in. but larry was right, it is a small percentage or fraction of the aid that is needed overall and that is why it is so critical to try to alleviate even a small fraction of the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded on the ground there. meanwhile, israeli forces remain in large numbers in gaza but have taken up defensive positions waiting to see how long this truce stops. netanyahu and other members of the war cabinet have made it clear when the pause in fighting ends, the war itself is back on and both sides obviously preparing for that moment as well. even as there are qatari efforts and international efforts to make sure the pause if the fight continuing for as long as possible to release as many hostages and palestinian pribers as possible and get as much humanitarian aid in after 50 days nearly of war. >> and humanitarian aid is coming in. that is really significant right now. orren, stay with me. jeremy diamond is at the border crossing between israel and egypt. what are you seeing now? this is a significant location over the first two hostage release programs? >> reporter: that is right, wolf. but we've just moved locations. we are actually in orim. about where we are is mainly because we've understood that there are a couple of different points where these hostages could cross today. of course, we have seen over the last two days that shallom has been the crossing of choice for the hoftsages. they go into egypt via the rafah crossing and drive the short distance to karen shallom before driving on a road. but this road here is one of the places through which the hostages would travel, whether they wore coming from karen shallom or from a different point along the gaza strip coming into israel. and so our understanding is that this road, we will be seeing a convoy of those newly freed hostages once they cross into israel wherever that may be. but, wolf, we have watched over the last couple of days as we've seen both the promise of this deal, but also the fragility of it. yesterday was the day during which we saw a number of issues arise as those hostages, they're release was delayed by hamas for hours yesterday. with a lot of uncertainty about whether or not the deal would end up materializing for a second day in a row. in addition to that issue about aid going into gaza, i'm also told that there was a major hangup over the fact that the 13-year-old who was released yesterday, her mother who was also taken hostage with her on october 7th, she was not included in the list that hamas gave to israel the day before that release. and so throughout the day, i'm told, that israeli officials behind the scenes were very much fighting, pushing very hard to try and get her mother rya included in yesterday's release. but it seems that officials decided it was better to get at least one of the two family members out of gaza rather than continuing to push for the second. there is also, wolf, a question about rya's whereabouts and her condition at this moment. it appears to be unknown. and as we know, hamas has many of those hostages, the majority of them in their custody but did not have all of them. some are held by jihad and other militant groups inside of gaza. and so one of the points of this four-day truce and the reason for the suspension of those surveillance drones over gaza for at least six hours aday is in order to give hamas the opportunity to reach out to these other groups, to ascertain more information about the whereabouts of all of the nearly 240 hostages that were taken. so we believe that that effort is underway. but certainly, wolf, still a lot of uncertain and this effort is being taken day by day. but for now we know that the hostages are in the hands of the red cross and expected to cross into israel very soon. >> jeremy, we're going to get back to you. i whant to goo back to arlette saenz. more good news, i take it. more very good news. we understand that this little american girl, this dual citizen abigail adan, four years old, is now in the hands of the red cross. is that what you're learning as well? >> reporter: yes, wolf. major and good news for the white house and the family of abigail adan. a senior u.s. official tells our colleague m.j. lee that abigail adan, that 4-year-old dual american israeli citizen is now in the hands of red cross officials. the white house officials have been saying they were hopeful that at least one american citizen would be released by hamas this morning. and now they do have confirmation that the red cross has abigail adan. she has been held hostage for past 7 weeks. her two parents were killed. shes had two siblings that survived and the white house hooz been working trying to get them home. she is the first american hostage that is being released as part of the four-day truce that is hoping to get at least 50 women and children out of gaza. now the white house said there were three americans who fell into that category. that includes two women who they have yet to name and also this young girl abigail adan. president biden yesterday speb some time on the phone trying to ensure that the deal stayed together. speaking with the qatari appear and prime minister. but the white house has been working since the start of this attack in trying to get these american hostages back home. there are still about nine missing americans believed to be held hostage. but abigail adan is in the hands of red cross officials. we'll wait to see once she arrives and is reunited with her family. but jake sullivan earlier today said that they had been hoping this would be a good day, a joyful day. it certainly is one for this white house. we'll see if we hear anything from president biden as he is set to depart nantucket a bit later today. >> and so just to be precise, abigail is one of three americans that we believe had been held by hamas as part of these hostages? >> reporter: well, so, abigail is one of the three people that the u.s. believed could have potentially gotten out as part of this deal. that was negotiated to release 50 women and children. there are other americans who are still being held hostage, unaccounted for and the white house will continue to work toward their release. but today there is abigail adan and she's in the hands of the red cross officials. there are two other women that they think could be coming out in the next couple of days and they have not been able to pinpoint which day that could happen but it is something the white house is working towards as well. >> and we have confirmed now that this little 4-year-old girl is now in the hands of the international red cross and presumably on her way with these other hostages back to israel. that is very, very good news. very encouraging to hear this. >> it is. absolutely so. because it is been a question of how this will play out after such a rocky road yesterday. but it appears the process is beginning to play out. red cross is the critical first step in the transfer from hamas. the red cross will then give them to the idf and we've seen over the course of the past couple of days the lengths to which israel and its military have prepared to receive the hostages. knowing that it would be women and children here doing what it could to make the children as comfortable as possible. in fact, they released earlier today a video of a 9-year-old knowing that he liked rubix cubes so they had one of those ready for him and noise canceling headphones for ease knowing what these hostages have just been through over the course of the past seven weeks. nothing easy about what has played out here. certainly not with the difficulties that we saw yesterday. but what we're seeing right nnow, the same difficulties is not playing out. this is a very good sign. not only for the families that have waited so long to see loved ones but it is a good sign for tomorrow for this process continuing. and it is at least a hopeful sign for the possible continuation of this. we don't know figure for certain. but it is what everyone here wants to see. not only the u.s. and the qataris and israel and hamas and the international community to see a longer period of a pause in the cease-fire which would allow more humanitarian aid to come in and more hostages to be released both the israelys and the foreign nationals that are held there and the palestinian principlers in israeli jails. >> they're part of this arrangement as well as part of this arrangement. stand by. we're going to have much, much more on all of the breaking news that is unfolding right now. once again, 17 hostages freed on this day. the latest round in this temporary truce. rep repeat the words temporary truce. coming up, my interview with the israeli president isaac herzog. we got his emotional reaction to return of the hostages and whether israel wants to extend this temporary truce even longer. stay with us. we're following the breaking news. look at these live pikes coming in right now from the rafah border crossing. from gaza into egypt. this is where the red cross vehicles will be bringing the latest batch of hostages including a young little sweet 4-year-old american girl who will be headed from gaza into egypt and then eventually making the short drive into israel continuing this process. we're watching all of these developments unfold. so far so good on this day. oren liebermann is watching this with us as well. so far no delays, no serious problems as far as we know right now. things are clearly moving in the right direction. >> and this is wonderful news for the families of the hostages waiting to see them. we've just get the heads up from theize really military, they have gone from hamas to the red cross. we learned that and now we've learned from the israeli military, the isd -- the idf, they will make their ways toward their families and toward the checkups that they need at this point and that means that today's process has played out as we expected. certainly much better than all of the road blocks and the difficulties and the delays we saw yesterday. the process today is moving from what we could see smoother than yesterday and that bodes well for tomorrow, at least from where we're sitting right now. but the israeli military and the idf has the group of hostages in their hands and that is from what we learned earlier, 14 israeli hostages as well as three thai citizens. so the process today playing out very well. >> and so this latest group of hostages who have been hold for weeks and weeks under hor aribl conditions in gaza, they are now in the hands of idf. >> i could pull this up here. in just a moment here. and i'll read the statement. a short while ago red cross transferred 12 hostages over to idf special forces adjacent to the gaza strip from there they make their way to the air base and one was evacuated via helicopter directly to a hospital and that indicates a challenge with their physical condition. and they transferred four released hostages including annize raely civilians three thai civilians through the rafah crossing. so multiple crossings to which they will meet with idf soldiers in israeli territory. so part of that transfer has begun to the idf and so the process is moving to get them to the hospitals to checkup and families an evaluation. >>s there will be a lot of smiles after weeks of a h horrendous situation. i want to go to my interview with the president of israel, isaac herzog. i sat down with him in to discuss the emotion reaction to the return of the hostages and whether israel wants to extend this temporary truce even longer. watch. >> this is a really precarious moment in israel's history right now. as i'm sure you and i agree. israel has been at war for 50 days against hamas given what happened back on october 7th. three day into the temporary truce right now, how meaningful is it for israelis to see some good news, some of the hostages being reunited with their families? >> it is extremely important because we see, we see human beings who are in the abyss and without knowing their whereabouts and their fate as well as the fact that they themselves are totally secluded and disconnected from the rest of the world. the fact that you see young girls, young boy or a grandmother walking through and going to israeli hospitals and coming back and meeting their families is a huge emotional storm. and something that gives us happiness. but, of course, happiness with a lot of sorrow in it. because there are at least 200 hostages still held out there in hamas -- under hamas arrest in bunkers without knowing how they will live and what are their whereabouts. some families torn apart. most of the hostages that were released have still family members left behind, meaning tearing the families apart. and as you could see, throughout the last few days, hamas is treading on our psychology with a kind of a passive aggressive approach which wants to drive us as a nation crazy because of the emotions filled and because of the extreme pain and worry of so many relatives to their friends and family who are out there in gaza. >> as you know, israel's defense ministry said yesterday and i'm quoting now, any further negotiations will be held under fire, end quote. is he effectively closing the door to extending the truce. >> we have to remember there is a few more days of release of the hostages. once israel is releasing terrorists who are charged and imprisoned for activities including taking lives of people or threatening to take lives of people. an this is a very gruesome process. so i don't want to speak about the next step. but it is clear to us, that if we want to prevent further terror against israel from gaza, and change the future of the middle east, and the way that the palestinians have some hope, the only way to do it in a human way in order to protect the human values in the region, is by approaching hamas and that will lead to the fact that we have to take further action and undermine hamas's military capabilities. >> i'm arrange shus to get your thought, if hamas agrees to another few days of the truce in order to release morize raely hostages, should israel accept that. >> that was negotiated. it was agreed in the original agreement which has been violated constantly by hamas but still impl implemented piecemea they bring another ten pribers or so, or the exact number is in the agreement, there will be an extension of another day of humanitarian pause. so that is already agreed. they can definitely bring many more hostages and release them. they kind of said that they don't know where their whereabouts are. that looks to us totally false, because they've been controlling gaza to the last iota for the last 20-odd years in a very cruel regime that didn't let anybody move without their permission. so that is why i truly hope that in this instance, they will release more and more and they will get more and more humanitarian pauses. as to what happens afterwards, it is clear that we intend to complete the task. meaning undermine their military capabilities of hamas as an entity and enable a different future for those who live near the border, for israelis and palestinians, for their ability to undermine the empire of evil which operates from tehran and impacts the entire region. >> so i want to be precise, mr. president. in order to get more israeli hostages released, do you think israel should agree to extend the truce? >> so, it depends. so far the agreement speaks about -- >> it was for four days. >> it said that any additional ten or so hostages released, there will be another day of humanitarian pause and that is what is being implemented. as to what happens next, there is a qatari delegation in israel today and i think that they're talking to the relevant authorities in the government -- israeli government as to the next phase. >> so you are open to extending the truce? >> sorry, again, the way you interpret the word truce is complicated. we've already agreed and made it public if the initial four days there is a release of further prisoners, ten per day or something, 10, 11, i don't have the exact numbers, we will extend the humanitarian pause meaning the truce. that is the way -- >> you call it a pause. >> yes, but our clear intention is to go in and complete the job. because we must not enable this base of terror, this platform of terror which was taken over by cruel coup d'etat to continue. and how would you expect anybody who went through these horrific torments and horrific scene and barbaric attack on october 7th, with rape and torture and beheading and chopping and mutilating bodies and abducting hostages. how do you expect anybody to go back there if there is no complete end to this threat. >> so let's talk about looking down the road. after this war with hamas, you have said israel and i'm quiting you now, can't leave a vacuum in gaza. so will gaza be governed by a revitalized palestinian authority as president biden has proposed? >> so, here, this is something really important to go into and discuss. because people have to be serious. if we want to prevent a recurrence of further terror, if we want to go into a stable region, we have to be lucid about it. is there any force in the world, in the region which is willing to take over and run the place in terms of the security and preventing further wars, sadistic and barbaric jihadist activity, somebody has to say who it is going to be. when there are nations that say we won't have boots on the ground. when there are nations that say, of course, not, we leave the dirty job to you guys. so when israel said right now the security and well being of this place in terms of this security element, meaning fighting terror and forcing law and order, adjudicating and so forth, we'll stay in israeli hands until there is an agreement. one has to build the alternative. it needs to be discussed in various key places and see what is next. in the interim, there has to be a major humanitarian aid and a ma major humanitarian effort. in this respect, i command the hospital which has been built now in rafah by the united arab emirates. there are other countries making similar efforts and we commend them as well. but the most advanced project for another new hospital in the gaza strip is done by united arab emirates and yesterday trucks came in in order to build this hospital in rafah. so there should be an overall effort to make something that makes sense for the future and well being of israelis and palestinians. >> so what should the governing authority of gaza be after this israel hamas war? if it is not the palestinian authority? >> so i've been saying a long -- many, many times and i'll say it again, this is not only a war between israel and hamas. this is actually a war that defends the values of liberal and democratic countries or countries who believe in the rules of the family of nations as opposed to an empire of evil which is an empire of jihadists which believe only in eradicating all of us out of here. not only jews but also christians and next will be europe and the united states. so that is what the war is all about. and therefore, how you come out of the war, meaning how do you make sure that what will come out of the war will promise regional security and stability, will promise peace, or let's say ceasing of fire and terror, this is the key. and this has to be analyzed clearly. and in a very punctual way. i heard president biden's speech on friday. and from his vacation and i -- i truly welcome these words. these were important words. as he spoke about the fact there is an empire of evil that wants to undermine all of the peace prosez in the region. it is clear that what hamas did under the instructions of iran is to undermine the ability of further peace agreements following the abraham accords, also peace agreement with saudi arabia and offering a huge, huge connection between europe all the way down to australia. we're going to have much more of my exclusive interview with the israeli president her zok. that is coming up later today. stand by for that. we'll include the moment that president herzog pushed back against president biden's call for what is called a two-state solution. israel living alongside a new state of palestine. much more on that coming up. stand by. coming up nefxt, the tearfu reunions between the hostages and their loved ones. we have more on the major breaking news we're following right now. hamas has released 17 more hostages as part of its four-day temporary truce with israel. the israeli military said the 13 israeli hostages were handed over to them and that one is being flown by helicopter right now to a hospital. the other four freed hostages were being taken through the rafah border crossing from gaza into egypt. and then they'll be going over to israel directly. i want to go back to jeremy diamond. he's joining us live from orim in israel. he's getting new information. what are you learning? >> reporter: well, wolf, the israel defense forces just put out a statement saying that these 12 newly freed hostages are not only on israeli territory, but they are now being accompanied to the air base and we expect that they will come right along this road. this is the route from the point where they cross in near the central part of the gaza strip between israel, we understand that they went through that way rather than through the car imshall om prosing ander that coming down this room on to twa to the air base. we have a couple of police at the intersections prepared. it would seem, to block traffic for the convey to pass by. we also know, wolf, that one of these newly freed hostages was in fak evacuated directly and has landed at a hospital a short while ago. this is interesting, in particular because we know that theize raelies have had that medical evacuation by helicopter option ready over the last couple of days. in fact, on friday, when we near the crossing, we had two military helicopters land right by our position, one of those helicopters was a medical helicopter and but they did not end up taking any passengers on board in order to evacuate them. and so, the indication is that this was a fairly urgent case if they were taken directly by helicopter. we do not have information on the condition or the identity of that individual who was evacuated directly to a hospital via helicopter. but that does give you some indication of the urgency of that situation. but, wolf, we're now waiting for this convey to pass by and we'll come back to you as soon as we have that picture for you. >> and i just want to follow up, jeremy, when that convey goes near you, and heads deeper into israel, you suggest it is heading to that israeli air base, is that right? >> reporter: that is right. we saw that on friday, the first day of the releases, that is what happened. they drove in a convey. they went to the air base and from there they boarded helicopters to hospitals across israel. yesterday, they bypass that step altogether and hours of delay, what happened was the convey went directly to hospitals where those newly freed hostages were able to be reunited with families but tonight once again that air base option with the helicopter as waiting them, is what is happening this evening. >> interesting. very interesting indeed. very significant. jeremy diamond, we'll get back to you. i want to go back to arlette saenz. she's with the president in nantucket, massachusetts. we're hearing that, what, the president is about to speak? once again, i know he's been deeply involved behind the scenes, speaking with leaders of -- of -- speaking with leaders involved in mediating this arrangement. what is the latest? what are you hearing? >> reporter: the white house just updated that president biden will deliver remarks at noon on this latest release of hostages and a release that has seen the release of 4-year-old abigail adan. a senior u.s. official told our colleague m.j. lee today that abigail adan was in the arms of red cross officials as they working to get her and these other hostages out of gaza. the white house had expressed a lot of optimism that at least one american citizen would be part of this release and in fact it was abigail adan. that 4-year-old girl who was in captivity for past seven weeks. her two parents were killed on october 7th during that attack by hamas. her two siblings have survived at tack. they are trying to get her any type of medical attention she might need and trying to reunit her where her family. and we expect to hear from president biden for the very first time as this is welcome news for family but also for president and his team working around the clock trying to get these american citizens home. of course, there had already been two americans that had been released earlier on in october. judith and natalie anan. but she's the first american being released as part of this four-day truce to try to get 50 women and children out. and the u.s. said there are two other women, americans who they believe could be part of the release in the coming days. so we'll see if president biden has any further update on that or any of the other americans believed to be held hostage. but certainly this is all welcome news for the white house today. and we will hear directly from president biden in just a short while. >> anxious to hear what he has to say. i'm sure he's happen we this precious little 4-year-old girl has been freed. we'll get back to you. thank you very much. and we'll have live coverage fairly soon. stand by for that. i want to unpack all of the important late-braeblging developments with analyst kimberly dozier and analyst beth sanner. to both of you, thank you so much for joining us on this historic and very important day. and let me start with you, beth. one american hostage has been released so far. that is this 4-year-old little girl abigail adan. they are hopeful two others may be released by tomorrow. does hamas benefit from holding on the americans longer? what do you think, beth? >> absolutely. i think that is one of the issues, is that hamas may believe that their best chance of getting an extension of this, which is what they very much want, is to hold so that's a possibility, but it also could be simply that hamas is having difficulty locating or moving around hostages without the israelis being able to monitor that, and i think that the ties coming out, the story of the ties coming out might give us a window into that in that only four thais were released today bringing the total out of 17 out of 25 or 26. so there's no reason for hamas to hold back on the thais. so it may give us an inkeling that there are logistical problems sore that some of those thais might be dead. >> interesting. kim, these images of the hostages reuniting with their loved ones as i can testify being in israel over the past few days galvanized the israeli public, but you heard israeli president herzog tell me and you just heard it a few moments ago that israel is indeed ready to continue the battle against hamas. do you think israelis can stomach a return to fighting right now? >> wolf, we actually have seen a softening in the israeli position in that when they initially agreed to this truce the israeli cabinet announced that the truce would only last ten days, that's it, but now we hear from senior israeli officials similar to what the national security adviser jake sullivan told dana bash this morning that the truce could last and the humanitarian assistance can enter gaza as long as hamas continues to release hostages. so that is a shift and surely, part of that is because of the pressure from the israeli public, the families that haven't yet got their loved ones back, but the difficulty's going to come when we get through the women and children and its main men and soldiers that need to be released because the palestinian islamic jihad had said the soldier, the israeli soldiers should be released if 80-some-odd palestinians held in israeli jails are also released. beth, does hamas have an incentive to extend this temporary pause and release more hostages because this is clearly, they're holding on to these hostages and it is clearly their main leverage in all of this. >> absolutely. hamas wants to extend this as much as possible, and if you see the remarks by, for example, the iranian foreign minister who was visiting lebanon and met with the hezbollah head nasrallah on thursday, thanksgiving day, they are all saying the same thing that this ceasefire or pause is good. they call it a ceasefire. they want it extended and they want it to turn into a permanent ceasefire, and the reason they want to do that is because that would leave, you know, hamas basically where, you know, where it could still become hamas 2.0 in the future in terms of running gaza, and i think that that, regardless of what happens is actually a fairly high possibility that whatever we see in the future might look a lot like the past. >> interesting. kim, yesterday we saw the deal, the release of more hostages hit a major snag with hamas holding up the release of the hostages for many, many hours and it was very painful to people here in israel that i witnessed. what do you make in qatar's role in holding this together, the israeli president herzog told me in our interview and more of that will be airing shortly. he told me in our interview that a qatari delegation is in israel right now, and i think that's significant. israel and qatar do not have formal, diplomatic relation, but they are working very closely right now. israeli officials have been to doha, qatar. >> qatar has been hamas' lifeline throughout this. you can see this qatari delegation reminding hamas of what the palestinian people are getting from this pause. a top qatari foreign minister official al katar was visiting gaza in the past 24 hours and she was highlighting the aid that's coming in and how needed it is. so these are the other victims of hamas, all of the displaced palestinian, some 1.7, the u.n. says who are not getting counseling, don't have enough food, water, shelter and so what qatar is doing is reminding hamas that the arab world is watching, and that they, too, have an obligation to take care of their people and a pause helps that. >> and israeli officials, i can testify, have been praising qatar for its role and being very grateful to them for helping deal with this very sensitive hostage release issue. kimberly dozier, beth center, thank you very much for joining us and we will continue this conversation. that's it for "inside politics sunday." up next, we are standing by for president biden who is set to speak to the nation any moment on today's release of hostages from hassgaza, and i'll be back 2:00 p.m. with the latest news from israel and gaza including my exclusive interview with the israeli president isaac herzog. abigail ran to her dad and was gunned down as well while using his body to shield little abigail. she then ran to a neighbor for help where they were all taken hostage, that entire house of neighbors were taken hostage by hamas and held for 50 days. what she endured was unthinkable. abigail was among 13 hostages released today from gaza, under the brokered and sustained u.s. diplomacy, she is now safely in israel, and we continue to press and expect additional americans will be released, as well. we will not stop working until every hostage is returned to their loved ones. as i said when i spoke about this deal on friday, this has been the product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement for me and my team. we've been in close contact with the leaders of qatar, egypt and israel speaking with each one of them repeatedly over the past few weeks to help secure this deal. we spoke again yesterday with the emir of qatar who i owe a special thanks to, in order to keep the hostage release on track and push for be gail to be a part of this release, and i'll