A senior Hamas official has confirmed that the release of 48 hostages, mostly Israelis, held in Gaza is scheduled to begin on Monday morning, under the terms of a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.“According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed, and there are no new developments on this matter,” Osama Hamdan, a top Hamas official, told AFP on Saturday.The phased deal includes the return of the hostages by Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, after which Israel will release approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees from its prisons as part of the first stage of the agreement.The hostages, most of whom are believed to be Israeli citizens, were captured after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, when the country was celebrating its annual holiday. That led to escalation of conflict between Israel and Hamas. Their release has been a central focus of ongoing international diplomatic efforts, particularly by the United States, which helped mediate the deal.While the timeline has now been confirmed by Hamas, Israeli officials have not issued a formal statement on the exact start of the exchange.The agreement marks a significant, albeit fragile, step towards de-escalation after two years of war that has left thousands dead and many more displaced in both Gaza and Israel. Earlier Hamas said it will not take part in the formal signing of the Gaza peace deal with Israel in Egypt.“The matter of the official signing – we will not be involved,” political bureau member Hossam Badran told AFP in an interview.He added that Hamas “acted principally through… Qatari and Egyptian mediators” during ceasefire talks in Egypt.Badran described US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Hamas members to leave the Gaza Strip as “absurd” and said that the militant group will “repel aggression” if hostilities by Israel resume.
Trump, al-Sisi to chair Gaza peace summit
US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are set to jointly chair a Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, the Egyptian presidency announced on Saturday, reported AFP.The summit, scheduled for Monday afternoon, will see the participation of leaders from more than twenty countries, according to the statement.The gathering is intended “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability.”