A CEASEFIRE HOSTAGE RELEASE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED BY THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND HAMAS.

A SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL CONFIRMS TO ME.

NOW THIS DEAL HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING FOR HOSTAGE FAMILIES IN ISRAEL AND FOR PALESTINIANS IN GAZA, WHO HAVE BEEN UNDER AN ENDLESS ASSAULT FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.

I SPOKE ABOUT THIS BREAKTHROUGH IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN.

I STARTED BY ASKING HIM WHAT EXACTLY THE CEASEFIRE MEANS, AND WE SPOKE JUST AS IT WAS BEING ANNOUNCED.

>> FIRST, THE FIRING STOPS.

HAMAS, ISRAEL STOP FIRING.

ISRAEL PULLS BACK ITS FORCES.

HOSTAGES BEGIN TO BE RELEASED.

PRISONERS COME OUT OF ISRAELI JAILS AND GO BACK.

AND WE SURGE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE WHO SO DESPERATELY NEED IT.

ALL OF THAT HAPPENS DURING A SIX-WEEK PERIOD.

BUT ALSO DURING THAT SIX WEEKS, WE HAVE TO NEGOTIATE THE UNDERSTANDINGS TO GET TO A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE SO THAT ISRAEL PULLS ALL OF ITS FORCES OUT OF GAZA, HAMAS DOESN'T COME BACK IN, AND THERE IS THE NECESSARY GOVERNANCE, SECURITY, RECONSTRUCTION ARRANGEMENTS SO THAT GAZA CAN MOVE FORWARD.

>> IS THAT SORTED?

>> THAT'S NOT SORTED.

WE'VE WORKED ON IT INTENSELY FOR THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS, INTENSELY, BUT QUIETLY, WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WITH OTHERS.

I THINK THERE ARE SOME BASIC UNDERSTANDINGS THAT WE'VE REACHED, BUT THE CEASEFIRE ITSELF HOPEFULLY WOULD CONCENTRATE MINDS AND GET PEOPLE TO WHAT'S NEXT, TO GET THAT DAY AFTER POST FLIFK PLAN IN PLACE.

>> SO SPEAKING AS YOUR SUCCESSOR IS UNDERGOING SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS, SENATOR MARCO RUBIO, DO YOU THINK THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE YOUR BALL AND ROLL WITH IT DOWN THE LINE, OR WILL THEY SAY HEY, NICE TRY, GUYS, BUT WE DON'T CARE.

>> OF COURSE, IT WILL BE UP TO THEM.

IT WILL NOT ONLY BE UP TO THEM, IT WILL BE UP TO THE PARTIES AND ALL CONCERNED.

I THINK THERE IS A STRONG IMPETUS AMONG ALL INVOLVED NOT ONLY TO HAVE THIS CEASEFIRE THAT HOPEFULLY WILL ACHIEVE IN THE COMING HOURS OR CERTAINLY DAYS, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PERMANENT.

ISRAEL DOES NOT HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO REMAIN BOGGED DOWN IN GAZA WITH AN INSURGENCY BLEEDING IT, CONTINUING TO PUT PRESSURE ON ITS ECONOMY, ON ITS RESERVES.

THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE CERTAINLY DON'T NEED A CONTINUATION OF GAZA.

COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE REGION DON'T WANT THAT.

SO I THINK THERE IS GOING TO BE ASSUMING THE CEASEFIRE IS REACHED, STRONG, STRONG PRESSURE FROM ALL SIDES TO MAKE SURE THAT IT BECOMES PERMANENT.

AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT I THINK IS THROUGH THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.

BUT IT WILL BE UP TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO DECIDE WHETHER TO TRY TO CARRY THAT FORWARD, WHETHER IT HAS SOME OTHER WAY OF DOING THIS.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, THOUGH, GET THE CEASEFIRE, MAKE IT PERMANENT.

>> I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU AGREE, BUT MANY ANALYSTS ARE SAYING THAT ACTUALLY, TRUMP'S ARRIVAL HAS JUMP-STARTED THIS AND HAS FOCUSED PEOPLE'S MINDS AND AT LEAST GOT THIS CEASEFIRE TO BE SERIOUS.

AS YOU SAY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE PRESIDENT PLANNED BACK IN MAY AND ET CETERA.

THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE VERY PROMINENT ISRAELI HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR WHO SAYS THIS IS NOT A GREAT DEAL, THIS INTERIM ONE.

IT'S ONLY ABOUT 30 HOSTAGES.

MANY, MANY HAVE DIED IN THE INTERIM SINCE MAY.

THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE MUCH EARLIER.

AND I KNOW YOU OFTEN USG BLAMES HAMAS FOR ITS ROLE IN DELAYING.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW WHAT IT'S MAR GAVIN SAID.

HE BASICALLY SAID ME HAVE SUCCESSFULLY PREVENTED ANY CEASEFIRE DEALS FOR THE PAST YEAR, AND WE STILL WANT TO PREVENT THIS ONE.

HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT?

AND ARE YOU WILLING TO AGREE THAT ALSO ISRAEL HAS HELD UP WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE BIDEN CEASEFIRE WHICH COULD HAVE SAVED MANY LIVES, MANY, MANY MONTHS AGO?

>> SO SHOULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED MONTHS AGO?

YES.

COULD IT HAVE HAPPENED MONTHS AGO?

YES.

WERE THERE OCCASIONS WHEN EACH SIDE DID THINGS THAT MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO GET THIS OVER THE FINISH LINE?

YES, INCLUDING ISRAEL.

BUT PREDOMINANTLY, IT'S BEEN HAMAS.

AND CERTAINLY IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, HAMAS HAD REFUSED TO ENGAGE.

WE FINALLY GOT IT TO REENGAGE.

AND IN THESE LAST WEEKS IN PARTICULAR, HAMAS HAS BEEN THE PARTY THAT'S HELD BACK ON FINALLY GETTING TO YES.

BUT WE'VE MANAGED TO PUSH TO A POINT WHERE, AS I SAID, WE'RE ON THE BRINK.

LOOK, I THINK WHAT THE BASIC DYNAMIC HAS BEEN IS THIS.

FIRST, WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT WAS THAT THERE HAD TO BE AN AGREEMENT THAT THIS WOULD PROCEED IN TWO PHASES.

THAT WE'D HAVE THESE SIX WEEKS WHERE EVERYONE STOPS FIRING, ISRAEL PULLS BACK, HOSTAGES COME OUT, PRISONERS ARE RELEASED, HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE GOES IN, AND FINAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR AN ENDURING CEASEFIRE ARE MADE.

FOR MONTHS HAMAS WOULDN'T ACCEPT THAT.

THE PRESIDENT WENT FORWARD, WENT PUBLIC IN MAY, VERY END OF MAY, EARLY JUNE WITH A DETAILED PROPOSAL FOR THAT.

AND THEN WE WENT AROUND THE WORLD.

AND EVERYONE CAME OUT IN SUPPORT OF IT, INCLUDING THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL.

AND AT THAT POINT, HAMAS WAS ISOLATED AND IT SIGNED ON TO THAT FRAMEWORK.

AND EVER SINCE, AS I SAID, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO IMPLEMENT IT TO GET THE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS.

BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TWO DYNAMICS THAT I THINK HAVE REALLY HELD THINGS BACK MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

ONE, HAMAS WAS HOPING, HOPING, HOPING THAT THE CAVALRY WOULD COME TO THE RESCUE, THAT IT WOULD GET A WIDER WAR WITH LEBANON AND HEZBOLLAH AND IRAN.

AND THE ACTIONS WE TOOK ALONG WITH ISRAEL MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE CAVALRY WAS NOT COMING TO THE RESCUE.

IT COULDN'T COUNT ON THAT.

SECOND, IT HOPED BY HOLDING BACK PRESSURE WOULD MOUNT ON ISRAEL TO GIVE IN AND TO AHEAD CCEDE TO THE TERMS OF A CEASEFIRE DEAL.

AND THERE AGAIN THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.

SO I THINK AS WE LOOK AT IT, AS WE'VE SEEN IT, YES, HAVE THERE BEEN MOMENTS WHEN THINGS HAVE HAPPENED ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER THAT MADE IT HARDER TO GET IT OVER THE LINE?

YES.

BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, IT'S BEEN HAMAS, BUT NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE HOPEFULLY HAMAS SEES THAT THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS THROUGH THE CEASEFIRE.