Trump says Gaza hostages to be freed early next week, plans Egypt trip for ceasefire signing
US president Donald Trump said on Thursday that Hamas is expected to release the remaining hostages early next week under a new ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Speaking at a White House Cabinet meeting, Trump said the deal had “ended the war in Gaza” and would lead to “lasting peace”. He added that the surviving hostages should be freed on Monday or Tuesday, though recovering the bodies of some victims would be “hard to find”.
Trump said he hoped to attend a signing ceremony in Egypt, after president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi invited him to a “celebration” marking the first phase of the deal. He also plans to visit Israel and has agreed to address the Knesset.
Under the first phase of the agreement, Hamas is to release around 20 surviving hostages and the bodies of two dozen others. In return, Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. A full ceasefire is expected to take effect 24 hours after the Israeli government formally approves the deal. Talks on that approval are currently under way in Jerusalem.
Trump said later stages would include “disarming” and rebuilding the enclave with help from wealthy Arab states, but details remain unclear.
The deal could mark the first step towards ending the two-year conflict that began with Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to a devastating Israeli campaign in Gaza that has left more than 67,000 Palestinians dead.
Donald Trump during a White House cabinet meeting on Thursday © Jim WATSON / AFP