Hamas, Israel Poised for Major Hostage-Prisoner Exchange

Hamas is set to release all surviving hostages on Monday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, as US President Donald Trump arrives in the region for a peace summit, declaring the war “over.”

Trump’s swift visit to Israel and Egypt is aimed at celebrating his role in brokering last week’s ceasefire and hostage deal, though uncertainty remains about what comes next.

Under the US-brokered roadmap, Hamas will hand over the surviving hostages, while Israel will release about 2,000 Palestinian detainees in return.

According to a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Israel expects the 20 remaining hostages to be transferred to the Red Cross “early Monday morning.”

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One before landing, Trump expressed confidence in the truce, saying, “I think it’s going to hold. People are tired of it—it’s been centuries. The war is over.”

During his visit, Trump will meet families of hostages seized during Hamas’s deadly cross-border assault two years ago and address the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem. His trip serves partly as a “victory lap” following the Gaza peace plan he announced in late September.

“Everybody’s very excited about this moment,” he said before departing Washington. Accompanying him are key officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and top military officer Dan Caine.

Final Details Still Under Discussion

Negotiators continued late Sunday to finalise the exchange arrangements. Two Hamas officials said the group had completed all preparations for handing over the remaining living hostages but was still pressing Israel to include seven senior Palestinian leaders among those set for release—something Israel has so far resisted.

Under the agreement, Hamas will release all 47 remaining hostages—living and deceased—abducted during the 7 October 2023 attack that left 1,219 people dead, mostly civilians. The group is also expected to return the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014.

Among the Palestinian prisoners slated for release are about 250 security detainees, including some convicted of killing Israelis, and roughly 1,700 who were detained in Gaza during the war.

Israel does not expect all of the deceased hostages to be returned immediately.

Peace Summit in Cairo

Following his Israel visit, Trump will travel to Egypt to co-host a peace summit with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The meeting will bring together more than 20 world leaders to support Trump’s plan to stabilise Gaza and promote broader Middle East peace.

A key challenge ahead is Hamas’s refusal to disarm and Israel’s hesitation to commit to a full withdrawal from Gaza. Trump claimed he had received “guarantees” from both sides and key regional partners about the plan’s initial phase.

“I don’t think they’re going to want to disappoint me,” he said confidently.

The proposed roadmap envisions a multinational stabilisation force coordinated through a US-led command centre in Israel, replacing Israeli troops in Gaza during a partial withdrawal phase.

Trump added that he would be “proud” to visit Gaza one day but did not specify when that might be feasible given the fragile security situation.

According to figures from Gaza’s health ministry—considered credible by the United Nations—Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,806 people. More than half of the victims are women and children, though the data does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.