The deadline for Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages is a few hours away, as phase one of Trump’s plan for peace in Gaza takes shape.
President Trump is currently traveling to Israel, along with members of his administration, where he says he will greet the freed hostages.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, he told reporters “the war is over” in Gaza. His comment comes ahead of a summit of world leaders he will host with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian says Israel is ready for the hostage release.
In exchange, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 1,722 detainees from Gaza arrested after the October 7 attacks. However, Hamas pushed for last-minute changes to the list.
The group wants seven high-profile prisoners released, including Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat, and had said if just two of these seven were freed today, all the hostages would be released in return.
Meanwhile, dozens of aid trucks have been seen entering Gaza, as lorries are queueing at the Rafah crossing with Egypt.
