US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Hamas will begin releasing Israeli captives on Monday, as part of a US-brokered truce that also includes the return of those who died in captivity. Under the agreement, Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza are expected to hand over 20 surviving captives and the remains of 28 others in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. “Some of those bodies are being unearthed right now, as we speak. They’re working on it right now,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It’s a tragedy. It’s a tragedy.” He described the coming days as critical to the ceasefire deal, calling Monday “big” and saying that several hostages are still being held “in some pretty rough places, where only some people know where they are.” The ceasefire, finalised earlier this week, requires Hamas to free all captives within 72 hours of its start. The Israeli cabinet approved the deal early Friday, and soon after, troops began pulling back from positions inside Gaza to staging areas nearby. Trump is also expected to host a high-level summit on Gaza during his visit to Egypt next week, according to a report by Axios. The meeting will bring together leaders and representatives from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Indonesia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not expected to attend, a US official said, The Guardian reported. Confirming the plan, Trump told reporters he would meet “a lot of leaders” in Cairo on Monday to discuss Gaza’s future. Reports also suggest he will travel to Israel afterward to address the Knesset. Reports have suggested that Hamas faces logistical challenges in locating all the bodies of captives who died during the conflict, potentially delaying Monday’s exchange. Despite such complications, Trump expressed optimism about the deal’s progress. “Both Hamas and Israel are all tired of fighting,” he said, adding that “there is consensus on most of it and some of the details, like anything else, will be worked out.” He described the negotiations as smoother in diplomatic settings than in practice. “Because, you’ll find out that when you’re sitting in a beautiful room in Egypt, you know, it’s easy to work something out,” he said. “But then sometimes it doesn’t work from a practical standpoint. But for the most part, there’s consensus.” Trump also welcomed support from the European Union, Iran and Russia, saying that the agreement could serve as a foundation for wider regional peace. “This is peace in the Middle East, and it’s a beautiful thing,” he said. (With Inputs from The Guardian, Al Jazeera)
