Israel expects that all 20 surviving hostages will be released early Monday, marking a major step forward for bringing an end to the two-year-long Gaza war.
The deal also includes the planned release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees from Israeli custody.
Government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian confirmed on Sunday that authorities anticipate the hostages’ handover to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a coordinated operation involving six to eight vehicles, reports Al Jazeera.
The remains of hostages who died in captivity will be sent to Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.
An unnamed Hamas official, speaking to Al Jazeera, said the group had gathered the surviving captives in Gaza and planned to meet Red Cross representatives on Sunday night to finalise the logistics of the release.
Currently, 48 hostages are believed to remain in Gaza, with 20 confirmed to be alive. An international taskforce is expected to search for the bodies of those who are still missing, many of whom are thought to be buried beneath rubble in the war-torn enclave.
In exchange, Israel will free almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees, most of whom will be sent to Gaza or exiled to nearby nations once the Israeli hostages are safely returned.
Notably, the list of those set for release excludes several figures requested by Hamas, including Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and Dr Marwan al-Hams, detained during the war, and Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti.
Hamas has said it continues negotiations to include them in later phases of the exchange.
The exchange marks the first implementation stage of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. A ceasefire has been in place since Friday afternoon, but significant components of Trump’s proposal are still under discussion.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem on Monday, where he will address the Knesset and meet the families of the hostages.
He will later travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to co-chair an international peace summit with leaders from over 20 countries focused on finalising a lasting truce in Gaza.
As he departed Washington on Sunday, Trump declared, “The war is over, and everyone’s cheering.”
He added that people in Israel and across Muslim-majority countries had celebrated the ceasefire—something he described as “unprecedented.”
In Israel, hospitals and military units have completed readiness drills for the hostages’ return. “We are waiting for our son and for all the hostages,” said Hagai Angrest, whose son Matan remains among those held in Gaza.
Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square Sunday night, where US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner addressed the crowd.
“It’s been a long road,” Witkoff told the cheering crowd, which erupted in applause for Trump but jeered at the mention of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, families across the occupied West Bank prepared to welcome their released relatives. Israeli authorities have reportedly instructed families to keep celebrations low-profile and avoid extensive media interactions.
Alongside the exchange, Israel has authorised the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
Around 600 aid trucks per day are expected to enter the enclave, restoring prewar levels.
The UN said that 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine, and essential supplies were ready to enter Gaza, prioritising nutritional aid for children, hygiene products, and shelter materials.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that road repairs were under way to facilitate deliveries. The aid flow had been severely restricted for months, resulting in famine conditions that claimed hundreds of lives, according to international food crisis monitors.
As part of the Trump peace initiative, the UN will resume full coordination of aid to Gaza after being barred for months.
The US will also deploy about 200 military advisers to Israel to help establish a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC), responsible for overseeing reconstruction and stabilisation efforts in the strip.
