GAZA CITY: A senior Hamas official has confirmed that the militant group will begin releasing Israeli hostages held in Gaza on Monday morning.
Osama Hamdan told AFP that the prisoner exchange is scheduled to commence as agreed under the signed agreement.
This development comes just before US President Donald Trump chairs an international peace summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh resort on Monday afternoon.
The summit will bring together leaders from more than 20 countries to address ending the war in Gaza and promoting Middle East stability.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has confirmed his attendance alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and several European leaders.
Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran stated the group would not participate directly in the summit, having relied on Qatari and Egyptian mediators during negotiations.
The initial phase of the agreement involves Hamas freeing 20 living hostages and additional remains in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel will release 250 security detainees, including some serving life sentences, plus 1,700 Gazans detained since the conflict began.
Hamas officials have expressed concerns about the second phase of Trump’s peace plan, describing it as containing many complexities.
One anonymous Hamas official explicitly ruled out disarmament as part of any future agreement.
The Trump administration’s proposed solution includes a multinational force from Arab nations replacing Israeli troops during their phased withdrawal from Gaza.
US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and Trump’s senior advisors recently visited Gaza ahead of the hostage release.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been returning to their devastated homes across the Gaza Strip.
Raja Salmi described her heartbreaking return to find her home in the Al-Rimal neighbourhood completely destroyed.
Drone footage reveals entire city blocks reduced to rubble with collapsed buildings and debris-filled streets throughout Gaza City.
The United Nations humanitarian office reports that Israel has permitted agencies to transport 170,000 tonnes of aid into Gaza if the ceasefire holds.
Gaza’s health ministry, which is Hamas-run, states that Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 67,682 people.
The United Nations considers these casualty figures to be credible despite their origin from Hamas authorities.
More than half of the reported fatalities are women and children according to the ministry’s data. – AFP