Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Friday that the cabinet has given the green light to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a Gaza Strip ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The approved “outline” of the deal focuses on the release of hostages, with plans to kick off the process on Sunday or Monday.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s chief negotiator for the Gaza conflict, stated that the U.S. military has verified the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers as part of the ceasefire pact on Friday. According to Witkoff’s social media post, the 72-hour countdown for releasing the hostages has commenced as of 7 a.m. ET.
During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump emphasized the complexities involved in the hostage release, noting that the locations are challenging. Specific details about the exchange mechanism remain limited at this point.
The agreement stipulates that within 72 hours of the military redeployment, all 48 hostages will be freed from Gaza and handed over to Israeli security forces. This includes 20 hostages confirmed to be alive, with the retrieval of deceased hostages’ bodies expected to take longer due to undisclosed burial sites.
Israel’s hostage coordinator, Gal Hirsch, mentioned that an international force will assist in locating bodies of deceased hostages not found by Hamas. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will oversee the exchange process, which poses greater challenges due to its scale and speed compared to past releases.
Notably, the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released does not include prominent figures like Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Sa’adat, Ibrahim Hamed, and Hassan Salameh. Instead, individuals such as Ra’ad Sheikh and Iyad Abu al-Rub are included for release. The ICRC is gearing up for the operation, although specifics on the timing and logistics are yet to be disclosed.
