AMNA NAWAZ: The cease-fire deal will end the agonizing wait of dozens of families whose loved ones have been held hostage in Gaza.

Some of them are American.

As Nick reported earlier, the first phase of this deal will include the release of two Americans.

One of them is Sagui Dekel-Chen, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz while trying to defend his family on October 7.

I spoke to his father, Jonathan, before the U.S. confirmed that Sagui was on the list to be released in phase one.

Jonathan, thank you so much for being with us.

Good to see you.

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, Father of Hamas Hostage: Thank you for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: I just want to begin with your reaction to the announcement of today's deal.

What did you think when you heard the news?

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Well, my first reaction is gratitude to the two administrations, the outgoing Biden and the incoming Trump administrations, for really being the catalyst to make this happen.

You know, it's a very rare thing, I think, in American politics today, and for something like this to happen, to sort of put aside the partisanship, and to work together shoulder to shoulder over the course of the last few weeks to bring us to the brink of ending this madness in Gaza and bringing our 98 hostages home.

AMNA NAWAZ: I know the details are still emerging, but the hostage release is likely to occur in phases, likely to begin with women.

Have you heard anything about when you might expect Sagui to be released?

Is it possible he could be part of this first phase?

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Honestly, we really don't know.

There's a lot of background noise.

We will be wiser in six weeks, once this first phase is completed.

We hope and we pray that Sagui will be a part of that, but we will be overjoyed for the families of anyone who is released.

And, more importantly, I implore the incoming Trump administration and the intermediaries to make sure that all phases of this deal are implemented.

It is simply not going to be enough to have the first phase go through and then allow the situation to deteriorate again.

We need all 98 home and the people of Gaza need peace.

AMNA NAWAZ: How worried are you that, over the next several weeks, something could fall apart and the deal could fall through?

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: It's a constant worry.

This is a very volatile situation in a very volatile part of the world in which we live.

And, therefore, it's premature to -- for me, at least, to be overly enthusiastic or optimistic, because, as we have learned over the course of the last 15 months and for most of my lifetime in the Middle East, there's always a surprise, and usually a bad surprise, around the corner.

So we need help here, in the same way that we needed help from the U.S. government and the intermediaries to get to this point.

We will need their help to see it through.

I have very little doubt in keeping pressure first and foremost on Hamas to live up to its part of the agreement, and perhaps also the Israeli government if it in any way wavers in its commitment to getting this done.

AMNA NAWAZ: You have been very pointed in your criticism before of the Netanyahu government.

You have accused them of not meaningfully participating in the efforts to get the hostages released.

On the flip side, as you mentioned, Hamas has not been a reliable partner in these talks.

But, in Israel, what do you think shifted that allowed things to get to at least this point today, where there is a deal?

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: It seems to me that there's very little doubt that what put this into motion was President Trump's statement, I believe about seven weeks ago, about hell to pay, and that rattled cages around the Middle East, Hamas, Egypt, Qatar, and also in the Israeli government.

And while the plan that has been approved today, as so we learned a couple of hours ago, is pretty similar to the one that was first proposed by President Biden in late May of last year, it's clear that the urgency to get it done no matter what came as a result of that statement seven weeks ago from President Trump.

AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan, we have been so fortunate to have you join the show many times, to share your efforts to get your son and the other hostages home.

And I remember, in a conversation with my colleague Nick Schifrin, you talked about the day that your son was kidnapped.

You talked about how he was working to protect his wife and his children on Kibbutz Nir Oz in their home.

Can you tell us how his wife is doing today?

And his children, have you told them, your grandkids, that their dad could come home soon?

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: We have not yet shared the news about the impending agreement or now the announced agreement, because we don't want these girls to be crushed again, a 3- and a 7-year-old.

Thankfully, the 1-year-old doesn't ask a lot of questions.

So there's no worries there.

What we are doing, we will be attending the inauguration of President Trump, for them to see the power really of America in its best light, getting something good done that has to happen, not just for the good of Sagui in Israel, but really I think for all well-meaning people in the world.

So I hope that the reunion will be as fast as possible, but, for now, we're keeping the news to ourselves.

AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan Dekel-Chen, thank you so much for joining us once again.

We hope Sagui is home safe with you and his family very soon.

Thank you again.

JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN: Thank you.

Thank you so much.