hostages during the course of a temporary ceasefire which would last forfour temporary ceasefire which would last for four days. temporary ceasefire which would last forfour days. there temporary ceasefire which would last for four days. there would also be women and children, palestinian prisoners released from israeli jails. israel's war cabinet and security cabinet discussed this deal which has been talked about for weeks now. it has been such an important priority for the israeli government. and we heard in the last few hours they had finally agreed this deal. a statement from the office of the prime minister benjamin netanyahu says. "at least 50 hostages — women and children — will be released over four days, during, which a pause in the fighting will be held. the release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause." this deal has been approved after discussions went on into the night. and here in tel aviv, it has been really interesting this morning, you can see how many people have, and gathered at the spot. this long table you can see in the background, this has been set up, a symbolic shabbat table and every empty seat represents a hostage that has been held in gaza. we believe still around 240 of them. this first stage of hostage release will only involve women and children, we're told, as many as 50 of them. but the possibility has been raised that if more hostages are released, then more hostages are released, then more palestinian prisoners could be released by israeli, from israeli jails in return. in its own statement, this is what hamas had to say, which is a designated terror group by many western government. they say the 50 hostages will be released in exchange for initially 150 palestinian women and children being held in israeli jails. but israel has published a list of 300 palestinians who could eventually be released under that deal. at the centre of this is qatar, they have been crucial in arranging and mediating those discussions and those talks that have been happening between hamas and israel. they say the starting time of that pause and the starting time of that pause and the potential release of those hostages should start within the next 24 hours. our middle east correspondent yolande knell has this report. here are some of the israeli children who could soon be returning home. 0ria is four years old and loves football. kafir is the youngest of all those held. he's nowjust ten months old. israel's prime minister got a warm reception from these troops yesterday. speaking ahead of the deal, benjamin netanyahu said that releasing hostages was a sacred duty, but the war wouldn't stop after they were freed. israel's government met late into the night to discuss the agreement, only signing it off in the early hours. they announced that at least 50 hostages will be released — all women and children. that will be over four days, while fighting in gaza will be paused. the release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day's pause. in tel aviv last night, campaigners stood together as ministers debated the terms. many here would pay any price to have their loved ones back. they fear that some hostages are already dead. i want everybody back. but i think... and it's a very tough decision, but i think the children and women must be... they're most fragile. you know, they need to get out. for palestinians in war—torn gaza, the pause in fighting is the chance of a brief respite from israel's assault. more fuel should now be allowed in and hundreds more lorry—loads of food, water and medical supplies. for doctors still holding out at al—shifa hospital with some 250 patients, that aid can't come soon enough. again, the hospital has no oxygen. we have no access to the main pharmacy, so we've run out of all the medication. we can't provide anything to the patients. we hardly do anything for the deep wounds we have. again, just reminding you, we are not more than 15 of medical staff. palestinian families are also waiting for more news on women and child prisoners from israeli jails, who are set to be released under the deal. on all sides, there's cautious optimism, with an announcement on the pause in fighting and the first hostage releases expected within the next day. yolande knell, bbc news, jerusalem. we can speak now to gershon baskin — director of middle east 0perations for the uk—based ngo international communities 0rganisation. thank you forjoining us. i'm glad that we get to speak to you today and get some of your insight because you were involved in a release, a successful negotiation that people across israel and in fact around the world will know of and this was the release of the israeli soldier gilad shall eat. talk us through how delicate these negotiations are likely to have been over the last few weeks —— gilad shalit. it is few weeks -- gilad shalit. it is very similar — few weeks -- gilad shalit. it is very similar in _ few weeks -- gilad shalit. it is very similar in the _ few weeks —— gilad shalit. it 3 very similar in the gilad shalit case that a proposal was put on the table for gilad shalit six months after he was abducted, but it took another five years for the parties were right enough to make the decision. the deal we have seen unfolding today was put on the table day three or four of the war by my contacts, people in the israeli government, and hamas and qatar and egypt. and the logical deal that everyone should have thought about and probably did come of women and children and elderly and sick and wounded in exchange for women and children prisoners in israel. i collected all the data, how many prisoners there were, what kind of offences they committed, none of them had murdered israelis and they were all from the west bank and not important hamas people. so this was an easy deal to do, but none it did take, we are in the sixth week of the war before it was ready to be done. there was the belief in israel the military pressure was necessary to make hamas be willing to make the deal. american pressure on the qataris, the coordination between qataris, the coordination between qatar and egypt with the intelligence forces of egypt on the ground being able to communicate directly with the hamas underground. communications here has been very much of an issue. how do you communicate with the people who are holding the hostages in gaza in tunnels underneath the gaza strip? and of course, the readiness within the israeli and to make a deal which they see as a big compromise in postponing the war effort, which has been a primary directive. so all these things just took time to come together. i these things 'ust took time to come to . ether. ~ , these things 'ust took time to come touether. ~ , , ~ .,, together. i think it is striking as well and you — together. i think it is striking as well and you published - together. i think it is striking as well and you published some i together. i think it is striking as well and you published some ofj together. i think it is striking as - well and you published some of the conversations you had had with has he has erred from hamas who you had a long working relationship with in terms of negotiations and his position was a lot more hardline than a lot of discussions in the past, what you think changed that? it is very difficult to know, we have negotiated nonstop during those 17 years on different issues. i think one thing is the fact that he was not in hamas, he was sent to lebanon to be a spokesperson for the war. he has definitely become more hardline lines over time. he had resisted attempts i had been making since the summer of 2021 for us to meet and spend several days together brainstorming. there was a point when he was ready to do it, but the technicalities got in the way and scared him off. even the month prior to the war, i was trying to convince him for us to meet in cairo and he had come to a point where for the first time in 17 years, he said, i can't, i have instructions, i'm not allowed to. that should have been a signal for allowed to. that should have been a signalfor me something allowed to. that should have been a signal for me something had allowed to. that should have been a signalfor me something had really changed within gaza. but i didn't catch it, no—one did, i think, that they were in a deep plan of deception to israel to make us believe that they were trying to become more pragmatic when in fact, they were planning this war. 0riginally, he denied the atrocities hamas had committed in israel on october seven, hamas had committed in israel on 0ctoberseven, killing hamas had committed in israel on october seven, killing babies women 0ctober seven, killing babies women and the massacre they did at the festival. afterwards, he stopped denying it and legitimised it and said they would do it over and over again and israel had to be annihilated. ijust met with norwegian journalist who met him last week in beirut and he was still justifying everything that was done and said israel needed to be annihilated. so things have changed. how fragile do you think this agreement is? we have seen that the provisions in place for potentially more hostages to be released and returned for a longer pause in the fighting in return for more palestinian fighters released from israeli jails, do you think that will happen? because we have seen hostage negotiations and deal like this for through before. how confident are you in what is likely to happen next? it is confident are you in what is likely to happen next?— to happen next? it is very fragile and very difficult _ to happen next? it is very fragile and very difficult and _ to happen next? it is very fragile and very difficult and very - and very difficult and very sensitive. we have two parties who don't trust each other and have no reason to trust each other. we are supposed to have a ceasefire. people might be provoked into breaking the ceasefire. some hamas fighters see an israeli tank that is exposed and soldiers out in the open, why not take a shot at them with an entire tank rocket? palestinians from the north of gaza who are now in the south trying to return to their homes imagine hundreds of people marching past israeli soldiers, are they going to allow them to pass without shooting at them? —— anti—tank rocket. let's say israel gains intelligence information over the next two days of the hiding place of some of the hamas leaders, perhaps yahya sinwar, are they going to break down the chain of command? so many things could go wrong. hamas promised the hostages being released would all be alive, what if they are not, god forbid? hamas has apparently agreed the red cross will be allowed to enter the tunnels and visit the hostages who are not included in this round. what if that doesn't happen. israel promised 300 trucks a day of humanitarian aid going into gaza. again, there are no guarantees these things can happen. and anything could break down the agreement at this point. we need to see the next four days happen as planned with all the hostages being returned and with the israelis releasing prisoners every day according to the list that was published. and then we will be able to say there is a chance of extending it another day for another ten hostages and perhaps another day after that. there are still women and children left behind and of course, the elderly and the young people who are soldiers or thought to be soldiers or policemen by hamas and that is another story of negotiations.— and that is another story of negotiations. and that is another story of neuotiations. ., ~ , ., ., ., negotiations. thank you for “oining us, we appreciate �* negotiations. thank you for “oining us, we appreciate your h negotiations. thank you forjoining us, we appreciate your insight. - gershon baskin. director of middle east operations for the international communities organisations. we can cross live tojerusalem and our middle east correspondent yolande knell. tell us more of the detail of this arrangement. that is quite a lot in it, isn't there?— it, isn't there? different statements _ it, isn't there? different statements have - it, isn't there? different statements have come l it, isn't there? different - statements have come across it, isn't there? different _ statements have come across from the different parties to give us a more full picture of what is being proposed. after 46 days of fighting, this is going to be the most meaningful break in the hostilities that we have had, if things go to plan. according to the israeli media, they are putting out more details of these 50 hostages released by hamas and other factions in gaza. they are expected to include 30 children, we're told, as well as eight mothers and i2 include 30 children, we're told, as well as eight mothers and 12 older women. all of them israeli nationals or israeli dual nationals. none of the other people with single nationality included in this deal at this point. that does mean that some families face this awful prospect of perhaps being able to greet some of their relatives coming back, but having loved ones left behind in the gaza strip, i know of one father who is held there with his two children for example and there is no talk of men coming out at this stage. another important development there has been in the past few hours is this list that has been published of 300 palestinian per is and is being held in israeli jails, that isjust a small number of the more than 7,000 we know are held, but on this list, you have a lot of palestinian teenagers, boys, also a number of women. a lot of the palestinian teenagers are accused of really relatively minor offences, looking through the list. things like throwing stones, belonging to an illegal organisation. some of the women have faced more serious charges. a couple of them attempted murder. but the reason this list had to be published is because under israeli law, israeli citizens have the right to go to the supreme court and appeal against the release of any prisoners. they have 24 hours in which to do that. so that list had to be published for that to happen. we are expecting 150, according to the hamas statement, or 140 according to the media reports of those prisoners to be released as part of this initial deal.— those prisoners to be released as part of this initial deal. thank you for “oininu part of this initial deal. thank you forjoining us. _ part of this initial deal. thank you forjoining us, yolande _ part of this initial deal. thank you forjoining us, yolande knell, - part of this initial deal. thank you forjoining us, yolande knell, our| forjoining us, yolande knell, our middle east correspondent in jerusalem with some of the details of that agreement which has been hammered out and voted on overnight. we will bring you much more from tel aviv on that story throughout the day. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. anna, thanks very much, and good morning tea from here in westminster, where later, we will hear from the chancellor. laying out his tax and spending for the year ahead in the autumn statement. so what could be installed later today? maybe some pre—election sweeteners all designed to win over voters, ahead of a general election next year. maybe there will be a cut in income tax perhaps, but that could be pretty expensive and could just push up inflation once again. so maybe that much touted cut in inheritance tax. yes, maybe, but that has already been condemned as pretty tone deaf amid a cost—of—living crisis. there could be changes to the pension rules, there could be more support for first—time buyers and there has been speculation about changes to benefits rules. but remember, it was only in september that the chancellor said it was virtually impossible to deliver tax cuts until the economy improves. so what has changed since then? well, there is a little bit more financial headroom because tax receipts have been higher than initially forecast. but inflation is still way above the bank of england's target and that is feeling a cost—of—living crisis, so the chancellor will be wary of making any big tax cuts that could spark even more inflation. he has got a big balancing act to perform. before we talk about that in some more detail with our guests here in westminster, this report from our economic correspondent andy verity. on a cold, damp day at this south london market, ask what they want the government to do something about and you'll hear two big concerns that haven't gone away — energy and food. we used to get six oranges for £1, seven for £1, now it's five for £1. lemons, ten for £1, now it's seven for £1. it's hard for the customer. it's hard for us as well. food may not now be going up as fast as the i9% rise earlier this year, but neither are prices on average getting cheaper. and the benefit of cheaper energy hasn't yet flowed through. electricity bills — before, we were paying, like, 1,200 1,300, now is coming more than £2,000. with the economy stuck in a slowdown caused partly by soaring prices and partly higher interest rates, the chancellor is expected to cut national insurance in today's autumn statement. jeremy hunt's treasury is now in a position to give some money away in the form of tax cuts without breaking his own self—imposed fiscal rules. but there's one big reason that the treasury can do that. that's because of how much money we have been sending the treasury in the form of higher income tax and national insurance since rishi sunak took the decision to freeze the thresholds, above which we start paying tax. in march last year, the average earner on just over £29,000 a year would pay tax on their earnings above the frozen personal tax allowance of 12,570. so the difference, their taxable pay would be over £16,500. but by september this year, the average pay packet had grown to more than 32,000, dragging more of it above the frozen tax threshold. that means the average earner�*s taxable pay is up by over £3,000 — a much bigger slice for the chancellor to take a bite from. that's hit low and middle earners hardest. if the chancellor goes ahead and gives some of that back by cutting national insurance rates, it's likely to be higher earners who benefit most. so ultimately, what we're expecting to see is a tax reshuffle, rather than a tax cut per se. most households will be worse off as a result of the frozen tax threshold. only those earning between £40,000 and £50,000 will expect to see their tax burden fall. and so, really, this is a shift of the tax burden from high—income britain to middle—income britain. the government's also announced it's raising the minimum wage to £11.44 an hour, up nearly 10% for many of the lowest paid, but also a higher cost for employers, which may force many of them to push up prices yet again. andy verity, bbc news, elephant and castle. andy looking at some of the challenges for the chancellor as he tries to make those numbers add up. let's talk to harriett baldwin, chair of the treasury select committee and with me this morning. good morning. it is probably worth explaining yourjob. essentially, it is to hold the treasury to account. your work really begins this afternoon when we get the detail of what is in the autumn statement. that's right, and i get to respond, one of the first people to respond. next week, we have the chancellor in front of the treasury select committee when we can ask the really detailed questions about what the decisions he is taking today mean for the british public. find decisions he is taking today mean for the british public.— for the british public. and a big art of for the british public. and a big part of your _ for the british public. and a big part of yourjob _ for the british publi