Hostages to be freed today as Gaza ceasefire holds

CAIRO — Israel announced on Sunday that it expects all surviving hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to be released “in a few hours”, marking a major step in the ceasefire deal reached last week. Meanwhile, Palestinians are preparing for the release of hundreds of prisoners from Israeli detention and a surge of humanitarian aid entering the devastated enclave.

“In a few hours, we will all be reunited,” said Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Israel and Egypt on Monday to celebrate what he called the end of the two-year war. “The war is over,” Trump told reporters before departing, adding that he believed the ceasefire would hold and that he would be “proud” to visit Gaza.

Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian confirmed that all 20 living hostages are expected to be handed over simultaneously to the Red Cross, then taken to a military base to reunite with their families or receive medical care if needed.

Following the release, Israel is set to free about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and recover the remains of 28 hostages believed to be dead. Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for hostages and missing persons, said an international task force will work to locate deceased hostages not returned within 72 hours.

“The reality is, some of the hostages we may never get back,” said U.S. Vice President JD Vance in an interview with Fox News.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faced loud boos at a rally for hostages in Tel Aviv on Saturday, described Monday as a “path of healing.” Critics have accused him of prolonging the war for political purposes, a claim he denies.

The timing of the Palestinian prisoner release has not been confirmed. Those slated for release include 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 detained from Gaza during the war without formal charges.

A Palestinian official in Cairo, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hamas negotiators are pressing for the inclusion of Marwan Barghouti, a widely popular figure considered a potential unifying Palestinian leader, along with others serving life terms. Israel has not commented, maintaining its stance that Barghouti is a terrorist leader.

Israeli authorities have reportedly warned West Bank residents against public celebrations following the releases, according to a prisoner’s family and a Palestinian official. The Israeli military has not commented on the matter.

The United Nations reported late Sunday that it has seen “real progress” in humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of hot meals and loaves of bread have been distributed, and cooking gas has entered the territory for the first time since March. The U.N. said Israel has approved 190,000 metric tons of aid, up from 170,000, and aid deliveries are expected to rise to about 600 trucks per day under the agreement.

“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” said U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, noting that the agency has a two-month plan to restore essential services and clear debris.

Food distribution sites managed by the U.S. and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are being closed, Egyptian and regional officials told the Associated Press.

President Trump, who helped broker the ceasefire, is expected to meet with hostage families and address the Knesset before traveling to Egypt to co-chair a “peace summit” with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and regional leaders. Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, will also attend, according to his adviser Mahmoud al-Habbash.

Unresolved issues remain, including who will govern Gaza after the war and whether Hamas will agree to disarm. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that he had ordered preparations to destroy Hamas’ tunnel network “through the international mechanism that will be established under the leadership and supervision of the U.S.” once hostages are freed, though details remain unclear as Israeli troops have pulled back from the area.

Palestinian civilians have begun returning to areas vacated by Israeli forces. Satellite imagery analyzed by the AP showed long lines of vehicles heading north toward Gaza City. Residents described scenes of devastation.

“It was flattened, just like everything else in Jabaliya,” said Mohamed Samy, who found his home reduced to rubble. “It was like the building never even existed in that place. I questioned my sanity.”

Armed police under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry now patrol Gaza City and southern areas, protecting aid trucks where Israeli troops have withdrawn. The ministry announced it would allow armed gang members uninvolved in killings to surrender and seek pardon starting Monday.

Rescue workers are still combing through debris in previously inaccessible zones. Health officials said 233 bodies have been recovered since Friday, when the truce began.

“For five months, we didn’t manage to recover the bodies,” said Yasser el-Bureis from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, after his family finally retrieved the remains of two cousins.