Israelis await imminent hostage release as Trump declares Gaza war over

PALESTINIAN DETAINEES ARE BOARDING BUSSES AT ISRAELI PRISONS AHEAD OF EXPECTED RELEASE – OFFICIAL INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION TO REUTERS

ICRC CONVEYS IN GAZA ARE MOVING INTO POSITION TO COLLECT ISRAELI HOSTAGES

Hamas armed wing publishes names of 20 surviving Gaza hostages to be freed

Hamas’s armed wing on Monday published a list of 20 surviving hostages held in Gaza who are expected to be freed as part of a deal reached with Israel.

The hostages named by the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades on its Telegram channel are among 48 captives — both living and deceased — held by Palestinian militants in Gaza.

The International Committee of the Red Cross is expected to oversee the releases, which will include nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

UK PM Starmer arrives in Egypt

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has arrived in Egypt to attended a summit co-hosted by the leaders of Egypt and the United States to mark the ceasefire in Gaza.

Starmer said in a Facebook post that Britain is ready to support the reconstruction of Gaza and “we will work with partners to secure a stable future for the region.”

Hostage release to begin in Gaza at 8 a.m., Israeli media report

The release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza is expected to begin at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) from the Netzarim corridor and continue at 10 a.m. in Gaza’s Khan Younis, Israeli media reported on Monday.

Israel to present highest civilian honour to Trump

Israel President Isaac Herzog said Monday he will present the country’s highest civilian award to his US counterpart Donald Trump for his role in securing the release of hostages from Gaza and helping to end the war.

“Through his tireless efforts, President Trump has not only helped bring our loved ones home but has also laid the foundations for a new era in the Middle East built on security, cooperation, and genuine hope for a peaceful future,” Herzog said in a statement issued by his office.

“It will be a great honour for me to present him with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honour.”

Herzog said the award will be presented in the “coming months” and that he will inform Trump of his decision when the US president visits Israel on Monday.

Iran will not attend Gaza peace summit, says FM

Iran said Monday that neither its President Masoud Pezeshkian nor foreign minister Abbas Araghchi will attend the Gaza summit in Egypt after confirming an invitation from the host country.

State news agency IRNA reported that Egypt had invited Iran on Sunday evening to take part in Monday’s summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

But early Monday, Araghchi posted on X: “Neither President Pezeshkian nor I can engage with counterparts who have attacked the Iranian People and continue to threaten and sanction us,” in reference to the United States.

Trump unsure whether Tony Blair would be accepted on Gaza peace board

US President Donald Trump on Sunday questioned whether former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair would serve on a new “Board of Peace” that is intended to oversee the governance of Gaza, amid ongoing criticisms of Blair for his role in the Iraq War.

“I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” Trump said, without naming specific leaders who could be weighing in on his choice of Blair.

A Gaza peace plan floated by the White House last month listed Blair as a member of the proposed board.

Trump made his remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One during a flight to Israel.

What we know and what remains unknown

Sunday was day 737 since the hostages were taken — a number many Israelis have updated daily on strips of adhesive tape worn in national commemoration.

Israel said Sunday that it expects the 20 living hostages to be released together on Monday. They were then to be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to the Israeli military, which planned to take them to the Reim military base in southern Israel to be reunited with their families.

Israel then planned to take the hostages to centers around Israel but asked the Red Cross to have ambulances ready in case a hostage needs immediate care after more than two years in captivity.

It appeared unlikely that the remains of up to 28 others will be returned at the same time. Medical experts and advocates say that would be crucial to begin the healing process for many families, and for society at large, but one ceasefire document contains stipulations for remains that aren’t returned within 72 hours.

On Sunday, Israel said “an international body” will help locate the remains if they are not released tomorrow.

As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel is to release around 2,000 Palestinians. Among them are some 1,700 people that troops seized from Gaza during the war and have held without charge since.

Israelis honour Trump as hostages return home two years after their capture

US President Donald Trump will receive a hero’s welcome in Israel’s parliament on Monday as a fragile Gaza ceasefire he helped to broker enters a fourth day, with the expected release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners marking tentative steps in a conflict long resistant to resolution.

Trump‘s Knesset speech follows two years of war sparked by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people in Israel with 251 taken hostage. Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults have since devastated Gaza, killing more than 67,000 Palestinians, the enclave’s health officials say.

Trump says Gaza war has ended; Israel awaits release of hostages

The war in Gaza has ended and the Middle East is going to “normalise,” US President Donald Trump said on Sunday as he flew to Israel, which was waiting for Hamas to release Israeli hostages as world leaders were gathering to discuss the next steps toward peace.

“The war is over, you understand that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he began a flight from Washington to Israel.