Good evening. I'm Jeff Bennett. And I'm Amna Nawaz. On the news hour tonight, a major breakthrough.

Israel and Hamas reach a hostage and ceasefire deal that could end the 15-month war in Gaza.

Firefighters battle high winds that threaten to further spread the wildfires blazing across the Los Angeles area.

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depend on whether China will allow us to have it or not.

Welcome to the News Hour. After nearly a year and a half of brutal war in Gaza that widened across the region, a ceasefire and hostage deal was struck today between Israel and Hamas.

The deal between the warring sides was mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, and will start this weekend.

The Biden administration had spent money months trying to force the parties toward a deal,

but a final push in coordination with the incoming Trump team helped get to this agreement today.

Nick Schifrin is here with more, so Nick, how down to the wire was this?

Well, Jeff, a senior administration official says that the U.S. didn't know there would be a deal until just minutes before announcing

it after Hamas tried this morning to insert new objections. But tonight, after 15 months of one of the

most intense aerial campaigns in history, the deadliest ever war on Israeli soil, and the deaths of tens of

thousands of Palestinians, there is cautious hope the ceasefire will hold.

Tonight in Gaza, a celebration.

And in Israel, relief that after 467 days of war, in just 72 hours, the guns over Gaza will go silent.

At long last, I can announce a ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas.

The three-phase deal begins with a six-week ceasefire.

Hamas will release 33 Israeli hostages, beginning with five female soldiers on Sunday,

and two Americans, Sagi Dekyllchen and Keith Siegel.

Israel were released nearly a thousand Palestinian prisoners, including

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