As the fragile ceasefire in Gaza holds, Israel anticipates the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, including its final 20 living hostages, from Hamas captivity Monday morning, under the first phase of a historic U.S.-brokered peace plan spearheaded by President Donald Trump.
Red Cross teams have already begun retrieving the captives in Khan Younis, with the initial batch of seven handed over early this morning, and the full transfer expected by noon local time, marking an emotional culmination after more than two years of anguish since the October 7, 2023, terror attacks that claimed 1,200 Israeli lives and saw 251 people abducted as hostages.
In exchange, Israel will free approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving long sentences and 1,700 detained during the conflict, alongside the return of 28 hostage bodies, though recovering the remains of the remaining deceased captives may extend beyond today.
Trump will land at Ben Gurion Airport and be greeted upon his arrival by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
