Families in Palestine and the occupied territories are awaiting the return of loved ones from prisons in Gaza and Israel, respectively.
The exchanges are expected to take place within hours ahead of a noon (9 p.m. Japan time) deadline under the terms of a cease-fire agreement proposed by President Trump.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office told AFP news agency that Israel expected all 20 surviving prisoners to be released to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip in the early morning hours.
Israel’s Ynet News reported that military officials expect the release to take place between 8am and 10am local time (5am to 7am GMT), possibly at one of three handover points in southern, central or northern Gaza.
The families of the prisoners have been told to arrive at Reims base in southern occupied Palestine at 7:30 a.m. local time (4:30 GMT), the paper said, and the prisoners will undergo their first medical tests after their release.
AFP news agency quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman as saying that the approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners “will be released once Israel can confirm that all the hostages scheduled to be released (…) have crossed the border into Israel.”
Hamas also plans to hand over the remains of dozens of prisoners who died during and after the attack on October 7, 2023, and Ynet reports that this move will also take place today. However, the outlet said the extradition could take several days to complete.
Hamas also plans to hand over the remains of soldiers killed in the last war in 2014, according to AFP news agency.
MNA/