Gaza Peace Summit Live Updates: US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, speaks during a rally in support of hostages kidnapped by Hamas, at a plaza known as hostages square, in Tel Aviv, Israel ahead of the expected release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo)
Hamas has said that it will start releasing hostages, who are being held in Gaza, from Monday morning onwards before US President Donald Trump chairs a global peace summit in Egypt to mark the signing of the first phase of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, a top official from the Palestinian militant group told news agency AFP.
As part of the first phase of the deal based on Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, Hamas is slated to release at least 20 hostages who are believed to be alive and in exchange, the Israeli administration would release 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, reports stated.
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During an interview with AFP on Saturday, Hamas official Osama Hamdan said, “According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed.” However, an uncertainty remains over the timing of the release of hostages.
Under the agreed plan, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are also required to withdraw to a pre-agreed yellow line. After the terms of the agreement were reached on Thursday, the IDF had 24 hours to complete its initial withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas was given a window of 72 hours to release the 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The IDF, following the deal, completed its withdrawal of Gaza territory by afternoon on Friday and the 72-hours period for Hamas had begun. Israel is set to release about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages, reports said.
Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are set to chair the summit which would see participation from 20 countries in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday afternoon, the Egyptian presidency announced.
Israeli government official Gal Hirsch told relatives of the hostages on Friday that Israel believed “the process of releasing your loved ones, our loved ones, the hostages will begin on Monday morning,” Times of Israel reported.
