Rabat — Three days after the ceasefire started between Hamas and Israel, the Palestinian resistance group is reportedly set to release the 20 Israeli hostages on Monday morning.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said that the “liberation of our hostages will start early Monday morning,” adding that they are “waiting for the 20 hostages alive to be liberated.”
According to Bedrosian, Israeli officials expect Hamas to hand over all 20 hostages at once to the Red Cross, who will transport them in six to eight vehicles across the border.
Israel will not begin releasing Palestinian prisoners held in exchange for the hostages until it confirms that all Israeli hostages — both living and deceased — have safely crossed into Israel, Bedrosian explained.
“The Palestinian prisoners will be released once Israel has confirmation that all our hostages have passed the border,” she said.
Hamas sources told Al Jazeera that they already have moved the Israeli living hostages to various locations in Gaza, and are for for their handovers tomorrow morning.
The implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire started on Friday, and includes the release of Israelis hostages in exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
Israel will free 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 detainees from Gaza.
According to an Israeli official, the bodies of deceased Israeli hostages will be placed in coffins and brought to a forensic institute for identification.
The first phase of the ceasefire also includes the gradual withdrawal of Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
Palestinians are going back to their territory of origin, traveling north towards Gaza, being filled with hope that this time the ceasefire will finally bring an end to the Israeli genocide. However, this comes with an aura of caution as Israel already attacked the enclave on Friday morning, just hours after the ceasefire deals were agreed upon. Palestinians and those who stand for their cause anxiously desire that Israel will not violate the accords, as they have done with the last ceasefire deal.
Meanwhile, the US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday to address the Knesset (parliament). He will later travel to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt for a world leaders’ summit that will discuss the process for what comes next for Gaza after the genocide is over..
