Israeli officials are prepared for the release of 48 living and deceased hostages "at any time," The Jerusalem Post learned on Saturday evening. However, the working assumption is that the releases will take place on Monday.
Authorities have begun preparations for the return of the 20 living hostages and 28 deceased ones as part of Israel’s agreed-upon ceasefire deal with Hamas, as Israeli forces have withdrawn from parts of Gaza, and forensic teams are readying to identify the deceased.
The return of the hostages in US President Donald Trump's peace deal could already take place on Sunday, according to reports. Trump stated on Friday that he expects the hostages to be returned by Monday.
Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch wrote to the hostage families on Saturday night, affirming that, in his estimation, the process of releasing the hostages will begin on Monday morning. The assessments for receiving murdered hostages have been completed, and they will be transferred in a respectful manner, and in a procedure that allows for forensic scientists to carry out the identification process, Hirsch added.
"We demand, expect, and are working to ensure that Hamas, with the assistance of the international force, makes a full (100%) effort to complete the mission and return all deceased hostages so they may be laid to rest in Israel." he affirmed.
Hamas was given a 72-hour period to return the hostages it holds, after the ceasefire agreement went into effect and the Israeli forces withdrew from the lines agreed upon as part of the deal in the Gaza Strip on Friday. A senior official from the terror group told Agence France-Presse that they will begin releasing the hostages on Monday.
Trump is expected to come to Israel for a brief visit on Monday morning, where he is scheduled to give a speech at the Knesset’s plenum after speaking to hostage families upon his arrival. Following the speech, Trump is slated to leave Israel by Monday afternoon.
Netanyahu visits hospital ahead of hostages' return
Bracing for the return of the hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Sheba Medical Center on Friday to examine preparations for their upcoming release.
Forensic teams at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute completed preparations to confirm the identities of 28 hostage bodies, marking the beginning of one of the most sensitive missions in Israel’s health system.
At the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine, they will undergo a meticulous, scientifically guided process combining CT imaging, DNA analysis, dental comparison, and anthropological methods.
Arab reports indicated that Hamas had begun collecting the remains of deceased hostages to return to Israel. However, Israel has doubts that Hamas can locate all of them, which may cause delays in the return
In response to the ceasefire deal taking effect, the IDF began positioning its soldiers along the agreed-upon deployment lines in Gaza on Friday.
Thousands of Palestinians streamed north along the coast of Gaza on Saturday, trekking by foot, car, and cart back to their abandoned homes in the Strip.
Two hundred US soldiers arrived in Israel to monitor the Trump peace agreement, a source familiar with the initiative told ABC News on Saturday.
The troops being sent specialize in transportation, planning, logistics, security, and engineering, the report said.
Israel lists terrorists set for release from prisons
The Justice Ministry released the list of terrorists on its website, set to be freed as part of the agreement to secure the return of the hostages on Friday.
Two hundred fifty prisoners who are serving life sentences will be released, alongside 1,700 other prisoners, including women and minors, who were arrested since Hamas's attack in southern Israel two years ago.
Among those to be released are Ra’ad Sheikh, a Palestinian police officer who took part in the Ramallah lynching, and Iyad Abu al-Rub, the Islamic Jihad commander in Jenin, who was behind several deadly attacks, including the suicide bombing at the Shdei Terumot grocery store in June 2003, the Sting Club bombing in February 2004, and the suicide attack at the Hadera market in 2005.
The number of Palestinian security prisoners being released by Israel in exchange for the return of 48 hostages is the lowest ratio agreed upon in decades, Walla reported on Friday night.
Masses gather in Tel Aviv with Witkoff, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner
Ahead of the hostage release, an estimated 400,000 people gathered on Saturday evening at the Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, as Trump's Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, along with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his wife, Ivanka Trump, spoke to the crowd.
"I dreamed of this night," Witkoff began. "It's been a long journey." The envoy continued, marvelling at the size of the crowd that was in attendance.
"You have carried the weight of hope on your shoulders for the entire world. You've prayed, you've persevered. And you've shown the world that peace is not weakness. It is the highest form of strength. Through heartbreak and fear, you have never let go of the faith,” Witkoff said.
Reuters, Maariv, and Dr. Itay Gal contributed to this report.