Hamas has officially announced that the process of releasing 48 hostages, predominantly Israelis, who have been held in Gaza, is set to commence on Monday morning as part of a ceasefire deal mediated by the United States.
As per the agreement, the prisoner exchange is scheduled to start on Monday morning without any new developments, as confirmed by Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, in statements shared with AFP.
The exchange will unfold in phases, with Hamas initiating the release of hostages first. Following this, Israel will proceed with the release of close to 2,000 Palestinian detainees in the initial phase of the agreement. Among the hostages, it is reported that 20 are alive, while 28 have unfortunately passed away.
Hamas has acknowledged potential difficulties in locating some of the deceased hostages within the 72-hour timeframe, a challenge that Israel is reportedly cognizant of.
The initial phase of the agreement kicked off at noon local time on Friday, subsequent to Israel’s ceasefire implementation and partial withdrawal of troops from Gaza, facilitating the return of displaced families to their damaged residences.
Earlier, Hamas declared its decision to abstain from the formal signing of the Gaza peace deal in Egypt, expressing objections to certain aspects of Trump’s proposal. Hamas leaders dismissed the idea of their members leaving the Gaza Strip under the plan as “absurd.”
The announcement precedes a Gaza peace summit scheduled in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, co-hosted by President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, with the participation of leaders from over 20 nations.
The summit aims to solidify an accord to terminate the conflict in Gaza and bolster stability in the region. It aligns with Trump’s overarching vision for regional peace and his ongoing endeavors to mediate and resolve global disputes.