Israel said Sunday that it expected all of the living hostages held in the Gaza Strip to be released on Monday, confirming the next phase of the breakthrough ceasefire deal with Hamas, as Palestinians awaited a long-promised surge of aid deliveries into the enclave.
The details emerged as the region prepared for U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Israel and Egypt — the latest in the swift flurry of developments since the ceasefire was announced last week, offering hope for an end to the two-year-old war.
“We are expecting all 20 of our living hostages to be released together at one time to the Red Cross and transported among six to eight vehicles,” Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said, noting that Israel did not expect militants to stage the exchanges in the same manner as previous rounds.
The hostages will be driven to a military base to reunite with their families or, if needed, immediately to a hospital, Bedrosian said.
After the hostages are freed, Israel was ready to release about 2,000 Palestinian detainees and receive the 28 hostages believed to be dead. The military planned to hold a ceremony on their behalf in Gaza, she said.
The dead are expected to be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for
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