Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Friday that the cabinet has given the green light to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. The plan also involves the release of all remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The agreement outlines the release of the hostages, with the process set to commence on Sunday or Monday.
According to Steve Witkoff, Trump’s chief negotiator for the Gaza conflict, the U.S. military has confirmed that Israeli troops have withdrawn as part of the ceasefire deal. The 72-hour countdown for the release of the hostages has officially started, as confirmed by Witkoff’s social media post at 7 a.m. ET.
President Trump described the hostage release as a complex operation during a recent cabinet meeting, emphasizing the challenging locations where they are being held. Specific details on the exchange process remain limited at this stage.
The agreement stipulates that within 72 hours of the military’s withdrawal, all 48 hostages will be freed from Gaza and transferred to Israeli security authorities. While 20 hostages are known to be alive, Hamas has noted that recovering the bodies of deceased hostages may take longer due to unknown burial sites.
An international force, led by Gal Hirsch, Israel’s hostage coordinator, will assist in locating the remains of any deceased hostages not found by Hamas. The exchange process will be overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which facilitated previous prisoner and hostage releases during past ceasefires.
The ICRC’s role involves ensuring the safe transfer of released hostages from Gaza to an agreed-upon location. The expected release of hostages and prisoners is anticipated to be more challenging this time due to the scale and speed of the operation.
Notable Palestinian convicts sought for release by Hamas, such as Marwan Barghouti, were not included in the list of prisoners published by Israel. The list also excludes prominent figures like Ahmad Sa’adat, Ibrahim Hamed, and Hassan Salameh, while it includes individuals involved in past violent incidents.
The prisoner exchange process will see the release of 250 Palestinians convicted or suspected of security offenses, along with 1,700 adults and 22 minors detained in Gaza during the conflict. The bodies of 360 fighters will also be returned. The terms of the deal require prisoners convicted of killing Israelis to be sent to Gaza or deported abroad, permanently barred from the West Bank and Israel.