Israel announced on Sunday that it anticipates the release of all living hostages held in the Gaza Strip on Monday as part of the progressing ceasefire deal with Hamas. The development coincided with the upcoming visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to Israel and Egypt, following the recent ceasefire declaration aimed at ending the two-year conflict.
According to Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian, all 20 living hostages are expected to be released simultaneously to the Red Cross and transported in six to eight vehicles. The hostages will then be taken to a military base to reunite with their families or receive immediate medical attention if necessary. Subsequently, Israel plans to release around 2,000 Palestinian detainees and receive the 28 hostages presumed deceased, with a ceremony scheduled in Gaza.
An international task force will be deployed to locate any deceased hostages not returned within 72 hours, as stated by Gal Hirsch, Israel’s co-ordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons. Furthermore, efforts are ongoing to identify bodies, potentially buried under debris, in the coming days.
On another front, preparations were underway to escalate the delivery of aid to Gaza, with the amount of aid expected to increase to approximately 600 trucks per day as outlined in the agreement. Egypt dispatched 400 aid trucks to Gaza on Sunday, containing medical supplies, tents, blankets, food, and fuel, crossing through the Rafah border. The United Nations has a substantial amount of humanitarian aid ready for distribution pending approval from Israel.
The fate of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a contractor supported by Israel and the U.S., remains uncertain following the dismantling of its food distribution sites post-ceasefire deal. Though initially positioned as an alternative to prevent Hamas from controlling aid distribution, GHF operations faced challenges, including casualties due to Israeli gunfire during aid distribution.
As Trump prepares for his visit, where he is expected to meet with hostage families and address the Knesset before heading to Egypt for a peace summit, uncertainties persist regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire deal. Additionally, the return of Gaza residents to devastated areas is ongoing, with challenges in rebuilding and recovery apparent in the war-torn region.