Hamas is reportedly ready to hand over 20 hostages to Israel. The handover will take place early Monday morning, according to the Israeli government. Netanyahu says they are ready to accept the hostages.
The case is being updated.
On Sunday afternoon, US Vice President J.D. Vance said that the hostages would be released from Gaza any moment, according to Reuters. However, that appears to be incorrect.
An Israeli government spokesman said Sunday afternoon that they expect the handover to take place early Monday morning.
“We expect all 20 hostages to be released together and at the same time,” the spokesperson said.
They are also ready to receive the bodies of 28 hostages who died in captivity, the unnamed spokesperson said.
Israeli authorities also state that the approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners to be released will be released when all the hostages have been handed over.
Ready to release hostages
Hamas has told Israel that it is ready with 20 live Israeli hostages and that it can hand them over as early as Sunday, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal earlier Sunday.
With this message, which the group sent through Arab negotiators, Hamas has confirmed for the first time that it is holding 20 live Israelis captive. It is also confirmation that the group is in control of all the hostages and that it can hand them over within the short deadline set, namely within 72 hours.
Netanyahu: We are prepared
“Israel is prepared and ready to immediately accept all our hostages,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released by the Israeli government’s press office on Sunday afternoon. Netanyahu had just spoken with Gal Hirsch, the coordinator for hostages and missing persons.
Previously, the Israeli army told the Wall Street Journal that they were prepared to take the hostages as early as Sunday evening, but that they still believed it was more likely on Monday, when US President Donald Trump is due to visit Israel and Egypt.
2,000 Palestinian prisoners
Hamas and Israel agreed earlier this week to the first part of Trump's peace plan for the Gaza Strip. In the first phase, Hamas will hand over all hostages in exchange for Israel releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 lifers. At the same time, the Israeli army has withdrawn from parts of the Gaza Strip, and a ceasefire has been implemented.
Hamas is believed to be holding approximately 20 live hostages, while 28 hostages are dead. All are to be handed over to Israel. The surviving hostages were captured on October 7, 2023, the same day Hamas attacked Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people.
Israel responded by bombing and invading Gaza. 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities, which are controlled by Hamas. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants killed.
