Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli officials that the country is ready to take back its hostages as soon as they arrive in Tel Aviv. The announcement came after a brief call with Brigadier‑General (ret.) Gal Hirsch, the head of Israel’s hostage‑coordination office.
The statement follows the continuing toll of the Israel‑Hamas war, which has left more than 67,000 people dead and over 170,000 injured since the fighting began in October 2023. In Israel, 1,139 people were killed in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, and about 200 were taken captive, according to Al Jazeera.
Under a US‑brokered ceasefire deal, Israel will now release almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for freeing the remaining hostages. The deal also includes a rapid delivery of full aid to Gaza, where many areas are facing severe food shortages and have slipped into famine, CBS News reports.
Before the final release of hostages, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog addressed crowds at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square. “This is a historic moment that could reshape the Middle East,” he said, even while acknowledging that “there are painful elements.” Herzog praised the US effort and announced that Israel would welcome President Donald Trump on Monday to thank him and his team for their work and for the mediators involved.
Hamas has indicated it could move up the release of hostages to today—earlier than the proposed Monday deadline—if Israel agrees to free at least two of the seven high‑profile Palestinian prisoners it is seeking.
A new round of talks began this morning to settle the remaining prisoner‑list issues under the first phase of the Washington‑based Gaza ceasefire deal.
—end of report—
Source: aninews
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