The Israeli government expects the release of the last remaining hostages held by the Islamist Hamas on Monday morning. The handover of the hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip should take place"early Monday morning," government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said on Sunday. In an online video posted Sunday evening, Austrian-Israeli Tal Shoham and Ilan Gilbao Dalal, father of hostage Guy Gilbao Dalal, expressed their joy that the hostages were finally being released.
They thanked everyone, including Austria, who helped ensure the hostages were finally released from the hands of Hamas terrorists and their suffering ended."Their nightmare is over," said Ilan Gilbao Dalal, who finally wants to hug and"smell" his son. Guy Gilbao Dalal and Evyatar David were kidnapped together by Hamas from the Supernova Festival on October 7, 2023. Until his release on February 22 of this year, Shoham was held hostage alongside the two 24-year-olds.
Shoham, who was in the terrorists' hands for 505 days, said he doesn't currently think Hamas will lay down its weapons. He can't yet forgive his captors, but perhaps that will be possible sometime in the future. Shoham also reported Hamas atrocities against the civilian population in Gaza. A person who openly resisted was first shot in the foot, then beaten, and finally executed. Such incidents have reportedly occurred repeatedly, 40-year-old Shoham said.
Summit on Monday
The US and Egypt are planning a summit on Monday, at which, according to the Egyptian government, a document"to end the war in the Gaza Strip" will be ceremoniously signed."We expect that all 20 living hostages will be handed over to the Red Cross at the same time and transported in six to eight vehicles," Israeli government spokeswoman Bedrosian continued. Only once the arrival of all hostages in Israel has been confirmed will those Palestinian prisoners whose release had been agreed upon be released in return. Hamas had also previously announced that the hostage handover would take place Monday morning.
Two years after Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the start of the resulting war in the Gaza Strip, a ceasefire came into effect on Friday. Israel and Hamas had previously agreed to the first phase of a peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump.
The first phase of the agreement provides for the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 20 of the hostages kidnapped in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, are still alive, and 27 others are dead. The remains of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014 and held in the Gaza Strip ever since are also to be handed over. In return, nearly 2,000 imprisoned Palestinians are to be released from Israeli prisons. The deadline for the release of the hostages expires on Monday at noon local time (11:00 a.m. CEST).
Ceasefire holds
The ceasefire held for the third consecutive day on Sunday. The Israeli army withdrew from several areas of the Gaza Strip as agreed.
Trump is expected to visit Israel on Monday—his first since returning to the White House. After talks with Netanyahu, Trump will deliver a speech to the Israeli parliament and meet with relatives of hostages. In the afternoon, the US president is expected in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where an international Middle East summit is scheduled to take place.
According to the Egyptian government, a document"to end the war in the Gaza Strip" will be ceremoniously signed at the summit. The goal is"to end the war in the Gaza Strip, intensify efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability," the Egyptian presidential office stated. Israeli representatives will not be attending the summit, according to government spokeswoman Bedrosian. Hamas also stated that it will not be represented.
Hamas does not accept disarmament and wants to get involved
However, some crucial points of conflict remain unresolved. For example, Trump's peace plan calls for, among other things, the disempowerment and disarmament of Hamas. The Islamist Palestinian organization, however, strongly rejects this. A Hamas representative said that disarmament of Hamas is"out of the question."
However, as Hamas negotiators revealed on Sunday, the Islamist Palestinian organization intends to at least forgo a leading role in the future administration of the Gaza Strip."Governing the Gaza Strip" is "no longer up for debate" for Hamas, a Hamas representative said. At the same time, he added:"But it remains a fundamental part of the Palestinian structure."
Shortly before the planned hostage handover, the Islamist organization reiterated its demand for the release of several Palestinian leaders. Hamas insists that the list of Palestinians to be released in exchange for the hostages also includes"seven senior leaders, specifically Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa'adat, Ibrahim Hamed, and Abbas al-Sayyed," Hamas negotiating sources told AFP on Sunday. The information was also confirmed by a second source.
Stabilize stability through continued US pressure
According to US Vice President J.D. Vance, stability in the Middle East can only be ensured through sustained US"pressure." The EU will also "very likely" increase its presence in the Gaza Strip in the future, according to the assessment of resigned French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
"The agreement isn't easy, but it's a historic moment," said Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, who visited the so-called Hostage Square in Tel Aviv on Sunday. Tens of thousands of people had gathered there the previous evening. Many of them wore T-shirts bearing portraits of the hostages who are scheduled to be released on Monday. The crowd waved Israeli and US flags, and some demonstrators shouted"Thank you, Trump!"
