Israel and Hamas are now formalising the ceasfire deal which could finally pause the war in Gaza and see the release of both Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. It’s a three-stage process which could ultimately take years. But it begins with Israel’s withdrawal from the most populated areas of Gaza - and the staggered return of the Hamas hostages. What’s striking is that the deal, or most of it, has reportedly been on the table since July. Many thousands of people have been killed since then and Israel has invaded Lebanon. It took a visit from President Elect Trump’s incoming envoy, Steve Witkoff, to achieve in a single weekend a feat which has evaded President Biden for more than a year. Was that by design - or by dereliction? Can the Palestinians trust Trump? And can Trump trust Netanyahu? And most importantly, is the world a safer place than it was before the war began? This was the chilling assessment of outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken. To discuss, Piers is joined by journalist Myriam François, former IDF spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, journalist and activist, Ahmed Eldin Opinion Editor of Newsweek, Batya Ungar-Sargon and later Piers also speaks with Texas Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.