Israel ‘prepared’ to receive hostages; Hamas sets term for early release

Tel Aviv: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel is ready to receive its hostages "immediately", even as Hamas told mediators it will move up the release of hostages in Gaza to today—earlier than the planned Monday deadline—if Israel agrees to free at least two of seven high-profile Palestinian prisoners it is seeking.

Meanwhile, bulldozers began clearing the rubble in Gaza City after two years of war, as tens of thousands of forcibly displaced Palestinians return to devastated towns and cities in northern Gaza. Preparations are under way for a Gaza ceasefire summit in Egypt’s city of Sharm el-Sheikh, with US President Donald Trump expected to attend. Israel has begun transferring Palestinian prisoners to two jails before their release as part of the ceasefire deal with Hamas, which will also see the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza.

The Prime Minister's Office said that Netanyahu spoke about the release of hostages with Israel's Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, Brigadier-General (Res.) Gal Hirsch.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister's Office said, "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just spoken with Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch. Prime Minister Netanyahu: "Israel is prepared and ready to immediately receive all of our hostages"."

As part of the deal outlined by US President Donald Trump, Israel will release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the Israeli hostages and allow the immediate provision of "full aid" to Gaza, which has faced severe food shortages and has fallen into famine in some regions, according to the world's leading authority on food crises, CBS News reported.

Hours ahead of the expected release of the hostages from Gaza under a US-brokered ceasefire deal, Israel's President Isaac Herzog delivered a hopeful address to crowds gathered at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, calling the agreement "a historic moment" that could reshape the Middle East, despite some drawbacks, The Times of Israel reported.

"It's important to say – this agreement is not simple. It will include some very painful elements, and they already are painful," Herzog said, without specifying which elements he is referring to. "But we understand that this is a historic moment that can also provide a genuine horizon of hope and change for the Middle East."

Israel is "eagerly awaiting" the arrival of US President Donald Trump on Monday, Herzog stated, as per The Times of Israel.

"We want to welcome him among us, to thank him from the bottom of our hearts – him and his team – for their tremendous effort, as well as the mediators and everyone who took part," the President said.

Israel wants the US "to build the next stages [of the deal] so that we will see real change in Israel and the Middle East – in Gaza and everywhere – that will bring us true change and hope," he adds.

Meanwhile, The Times of Israel, citing its sources, said that Hamas has told mediators it will move up the release of hostages in Gaza to today -- earlier than the planned Monday deadline -- if Israel agrees to free at least two of seven high-profile Palestinian prisoners it is seeking.

A new round of talks began this morning between Israel and Hamas to resolve outstanding issues related to the list of prisoners to be released under the first phase of Washington's Gaza ceasefire deal.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has killed at least 67,806 people and wounded 1,70,066 since October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, and about 200 were taken captive, as per Al Jazeera. (Agencies)

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