On Sunday, October 12th, a large number of people gathered at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Israel to celebrate the imminent return of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
The Israeli government announced that the hostages would be released earlier on Monday, October 13th. Hamas officials stated that they had completed the counting of surviving hostages and were preparing for their release.
President Trump of the United States proposed a 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
The United States, along with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, mediated and facilitated the first-phase agreement of peace between Israel and Hamas. The agreement includes a ceasefire, the release of 48 Israeli hostages by Hamas (including survivors and the bodies of those who perished), and the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees by Israel.
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian stated on Sunday, October 12th, that the release of the hostages would begin in the early hours of Monday, “We anticipate that all 20 surviving hostages will be released simultaneously and handed over to the Red Cross.”
“We are also prepared to receive the bodies of the 28 hostages after the release of the survivors… These hostages were either killed by terrorists on October 7, 2023, murdered during captivity, or have been held by terrorists in Gaza since 2014,” the spokesperson said.
She also mentioned that the Israeli government was prepared for the scenario of hostages being released ahead of schedule.
“Once Israel confirms that all hostages scheduled for release tomorrow have crossed into Israel, Israel will begin to release Palestinian prisoners,” the spokesperson stated.
The Israeli Times learned that Israel had informed the families of the hostages that the release was expected to begin between 4 and 6 am on Monday, though the exact timing could still be adjusted.
The Red Cross is set to notify Israel two hours before the release of the hostages.
According to a Hamas senior official quoted by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the surviving hostages are set to be released on Monday.
Hamas plans to release the surviving hostages from three different locations in Gaza on Monday. In the evening, Hamas will hand over the bodies of several hostages to Israel.
As per the ceasefire agreement, Hamas is obliged to transfer all surviving hostages and the bodies of known hostages to Israel by noon on Monday.
Israeli government spokesperson Bedrosian emphasized that any Hamas propaganda display was prohibited during the hostage release period.
During previous hostage releases, Hamas had orchestrated ceremonies criticized by the international community, including the United Nations. They brought hostages to the stage, coerced some into making speeches, and had children wearing shirts with images of slain Hamas leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned these as “humiliating ceremonies” that trampled on the dignity of Israeli hostages.
Bedrosian stated that under the Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement, an international organization would assist in locating the bodies of any missing hostages if Hamas fails to find them.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has insisted that we take swift action to locate all hostages. We view this as a sacred duty to fulfill our community responsibility. All 48 hostages will return to Israel, whether alive or deceased,” she added.
Earlier this week, three Israeli sources told CNN that Israel assessed the armed organization might not be able to locate all remaining deceased hostages.
Following the breakthrough ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, the United Nations has increased humanitarian aid shipments to the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military agency COGAT and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), responsible for overseeing the entry of aid materials into Gaza, announced that approximately 600 aid trucks are expected to enter Gaza daily.
These trucks will primarily carry food, medical supplies, shelter materials, and fuel and equipment for repairing water and wastewater treatment systems.