Hamas is set to release Israeli hostages as the Gaza ceasefire remains in effect

Dozens, if not hundreds, of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square ahead of the expected return of the remaining hostages on Monday morning.

The crowd, waving Israeli flags and singing, gathered before dawn and continued to grow throughout the morning. As the sun rose, many sang together and waved Israeli flags.

The release of hostages still being held in Gaza is expected to begin around 8 a.m. local time, 1 a.m. EST, according to a source familiar with the matter. The second batch of hostages is scheduled to be released around 10 a.m. local time, 3 a.m. Eastern time, the source said.

The source said that the two groups of hostages are being released from different locations inside Gaza.

The Israeli Sheba Medical Center, located in Ramat Gan, outside Tel Aviv, which is expected to receive the hostages after their release, indicated that they may not arrive there until mid- to late-morning at the earliest.

—Michel Ben-Gal, Jordan Freeman

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty said on Sunday that Egypt is “confident in implementing the first phase of the Trump peace plan” and that it will be respected by all parties involved.

Abdel Aty told the program “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” “We have great hope in completing the first phase with all sincerity from both parties, and we are in full contact with the Palestinians and Hamas.”

Abdel Ati confirmed that Egypt will send forces to Gaza “within specific criteria.” He also said that Egypt supports the deployment of international forces in Gaza to achieve security and stability.

Abdel Ati said: “We are confident, although we must draw lessons from the past, that without resolving the Palestinian issue, which is the core of the conflict in the region, and without respecting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians to establish their own state, as you know, there will be no peace and stability in the region.”

Abdel Aty pointed out that President Trump’s peace plan refers to a Palestinian state, although the final version of the plan is not clear about the Palestinian state.

Watch Margaret Brennan’s full interview with Abdel Aty here.

Alana Zaitchik, a relative of Israeli hostage David Cuneo, said she was “nervous” about what condition he would be in when he was released from captivity.

Hamas detained Kunio’s wife, Sharon Aloni Kunio, and his twin daughters, and they were released in November 2023.

Cuneo’s wife received instructions on how to tell her daughters that their father would be coming home and that they were “in shock” after hearing the news, Zeczek said.

“We won’t really be able to breathe and breathe a sigh of relief until he returns to Israeli territory,” Zechik told the Associated Press.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians began the journey back to the badly devastated northern Gaza Strip over the weekend after the ceasefire agreement came into effect.

A steady stream of people, many on foot, piled onto a coastal road in the central Gaza Strip, heading north to see what might remain of their homes. This was a repeat of the emotional scenes from a previous ceasefire in January.

Palestinians expressed relief at the end of the war, although they were tempered by concerns about the future and the continuing pain of stunning death and destruction.

Jamal Misbah, who was displaced from the north, told the Associated Press: “There was not much joy, but the ceasefire somewhat alleviated the pain of death and bloodshed, and the pain of our loved ones and brothers who suffered in the war.”

The destruction they will find this time will be greater, after Israel launched a new attack on Gaza City, in the north, in recent weeks.

-CBS/AP