Washington – United States President Donald Trump said Friday that Israeli captives held in Gaza are expected to be released on Monday as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. The exchange involves 20 living captives and the remains of 28 others, who will be handed over for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump called Monday a “big” day and confirmed that efforts were already underway to recover the remains of those who died in captivity. “Some of those bodies are being unearthed right now, as we speak,” he said. “It’s a tragedy.” The U.S. president noted the difficult conditions faced by the surviving hostages, saying, “They’re in some pretty rough places.”
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas agreed to release all captives within 72 hours of the ceasefire, which was ratified by Israel and took effect on Friday. Israeli troops have since begun pulling back to designated locations, starting the countdown for the exchange. However, reports have surfaced that Hamas may face challenges in locating all the deceased captives, which could complicate the planned handover.
President Trump expressed optimism about the broader peace plan, stating that both Hamas and Israel are “all tired of fighting.” He acknowledged that some details still need to be worked out but felt a general consensus had been reached.
“This is peace in the Middle East, and it’s a beautiful thing,” he said, adding that the plan has received support from the European Union, Iran, and Russia. Trump also announced he plans to travel to Cairo this weekend and will speak at the Israeli Knesset before returning to the United States.
