US President Donald Trump announced that Hamas will begin releasing Israeli hostages on Monday as part of a US-brokered ceasefire, which also includes returning the bodies of those who died in captivity, The Guardian reported.
Under the agreement, Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza are expected to hand over 20 surviving captives and the remains of 28 others in exchange for roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
“Some of those bodies are being unearthed right now, as we speak. They’re working on it right now,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It’s a tragedy. It’s a tragedy.” He described the coming days as critical to the ceasefire deal, calling Monday “big” and noting that several hostages are still held “in some pretty rough places, where only some people know where they are.”
This comes after the Israeli cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement, and IDF troops began pulling back from their positions inside Gaza to nearby staging areas.
According to the ceasefire agreement, Hamas must release all hostages held captive within 72 hours of its start.
President Trump also confirmed that he would host a high-level summit on Gaza during his visit to Egypt next week, bringing together leaders from Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not expected to attend. Trump told reporters he would meet “a lot of leaders” in Cairo on Monday to discuss Gaza’s future and might travel to Israel afterward to address the Knesset.
Reports indicate Hamas faces logistical challenges locating all bodies of captives who died during the conflict, which could delay Monday’s exchange. Despite this, Trump expressed optimism, stating, “Both Hamas and Israel are all tired of fighting. There is consensus on most of it and some of the details, like anything else, will be worked out.”
He added, “Because, you’ll find out that when you’re sitting in a beautiful room in Egypt, you know, it’s easy to work something out. But then sometimes it doesn’t work from a practical standpoint. But for the most part, there’s consensus.”
Trump also welcomed support from the European Union, Iran, and Russia, calling the agreement a potential foundation for wider regional peace. “This is peace in the Middle East, and it’s a beautiful thing,” he said.
The ceasefire is set to see Hamas release 20 living Israeli hostages before 12 pm local time on Monday, with Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian detainees in return.
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