Israeli hostages release timetable as the world holds its breath

Twenty Israeli hostages, held captive for over two years, are on the brink of freedom as nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners also prepare for their release.

The hostages, starved, injured and deeply distressed, have been gathered throughout the day inside Gaza by their Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad captors, in anticipation of a mass release within hours.

Many of the hostages may be unable to walk, severely dehydrated, or will need assistance to make the journey to freedom, while anxious family members wait for them just beyond the border.

In recent days, both terror groups have been working to gather all 20 hostages, attempting to conceal their previous locations. Israeli sources anticipated that the hostages would be released early Monday morning, although officials stated they were prepared to receive them even earlier.

Those captured during the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, which ignited the brutal two-year Gaza conflict, are being assembled for a dramatic handover to Red Cross officials, the Mirror reports.

The process to secure their release began on Sunday evening, with Israel launching a significant security and medical operation both inside and across the border.

As the hostage releases are expected to commence, US President Donald Trump is en route to Israel to claim credit for their liberation, before travelling to Egypt for a Middle East summit.

Israeli special forces are on high alert, ready to storm the area over concerns that Palestinian crowds could swarm the hostages before they are handed over to the Red Cross.

Insiders reveal that Hamas has been cautioned that if the hostages are mobbed, the IDF will retaliate with strikes against the crowd and deploy ground troops.

It is suggested that the hostages, although agreed to be released simultaneously, might be handed over at different locations. Three potential handover sites have been identified by sources.

Once assembled in an Israeli-controlled area of Gaza, the hostages are set to be transferred to the Israeli Defence Force before being transported in eight vehicles to Re'im Base, located in southern Israel.

Between six and eight vehicles are arranged to transport them to Re'im, and as soon as they cross into Israeli territory, buses carrying Palestinian prisoners in Israel will start their engines.

The Palestinian prisoners are expected to be pre-loaded onto a large number of coaches, most of whom will be sent to Gaza or exiled to neighbouring countries. The timing of the Palestinian prisoner handover and travel to other countries remains unspecified.

Family members in Israel are set to be waiting for the hostages at Re'im base, where medical teams will be on standby to provide immediate treatment if necessary.

After enduring 734 days of harrowing captivity, surviving bombings, torture and starvation, the 20 hostages were airlifted to three hospitals for medical check-ups and some for emergency treatment. The primary hospitals for the hostages will be Sheba, located outside Tel Aviv, the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre and the Beilinson Medical Center in Petah Tikva.

Medical teams have been on standby for several hours, ready to receive the hostages. If urgent medical treatment is required, hostages will be swiftly transported to Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba or Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, which are closer to Gaza.

Special rooms for the hostages have been arranged, equipped with a single bed alongside the patient's bed, allowing a loved one to sleep nearby if desired by the patient.

Sometime after their release, up to 28 coffins containing the bodies of deceased hostages were to be handed over to the Red Cross, then passed on to the IDF troops in Israeli-controlled Gaza.

The troops plan to cover the wooden coffins with Israeli flags, and a brief Jewish ceremony and prayer was planned for the deceased before they are handed over to specialists.

The National Center of Forensic Medicine - Abu Kabir - is finalising preparations to receive the bodies of the fallen hostages, as it has done in previous cases, where it will confirm their identities.

This sombre task will also involve determining how they died, what happened to them before their lives were tragically cut short, and how their bodies were stored.

From Monday midday, the deadline for all hostages, both living and deceased, to be handed over, an official search will commence for those still unaccounted for.

Insider sources have disclosed that among the 28 bodies recovered, as many as 15 could still be missing, either lost or obliterated in the conflict by Hamas and Palestinian Jihad.

Heartbreakingly, it may take weeks or even months to locate the remains of missing Israeli hostages within the rubble of Gaza. A special task force has been established to search for the missing deceased.

The body search unit comprises representatives from Israel, America, Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, working in conjunction with the Red Cross. They provide manpower, funding, and intelligence to aid in this grim task.

Meanwhile, Palestinians, relieved that the war has ended, are returning to homes and memories that have "turned to dust," as many have expressed.

Despite their grief, they are returning to their shattered homes - thousands to Northern Gaza, a dusty wasteland, and more than half a million to Gaza City by Saturday evening. Local woman Raja Salmi, 52, recounted: "We walked for hours, and every step was filled with fear and anxiety for my home."

Upon reaching her al-Rimal neighbourhood, she found her house had been destroyed. She reportedly said: "I stood before it and cried. All those memories are now just dust."

A convoy of aid trucks began to flood into Gaza on Sunday morning, with images showing a queue of lorries at the Rafah crossing with Egypt. As part of the peace agreement, supplies are being delivered to the devastated strip.

Israel has dismissed a UK claim that it played a "key role" in securing the Gaza ceasefire as Sir Keir Starmer gears up to attend a Middle East peace summit.

Sharren Haskel, Benjamin Netanyahu's deputy foreign minister, contradicted the assertion that Britain had been a significant player "behind the scenes."

Earlier on Sunday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defended the UK's efforts towards ending the war in Gaza, where a fragile truce is holding. She stated: "We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this.

"These are complex matters of diplomacy that we are involved in but we do welcome and recognise the critical role that the American government played in getting us to this point."

In the afternoon, Ms Haskel criticised the decision to recognise Palestinian statehood and accused Britain of undermining the prospect of peace by emboldening Hamas.

She declared: "The Government of the UK, Macron's plan, the whole conversation about declaring a Palestinian state - we disagree with you."

The minister contradicted Ms Phillipson's portrayal of the UK's efforts, stating: "Well, I have to contradict her words, unfortunately.

"Unfortunately, with the declaration of the Palestinian state during a very sensitive time two months ago when the teams were already around the table negotiating, when we truly believe we are able to reach a deal; the message that the UK Government sent Hamas was the message that: the longer they continue this war, they will be rewarded."

Last month, the UK joined nations such as France, Australia and Canada in recognising Palestinian statehood. Sir Keir Starmer is set to attend the "signing ceremony" for the Gaza peace plan in Sharm El Sheikh on Monday, where he is anticipated to commend Mr Trump.

Downing Street revealed that he will pay "particular tribute" to the US leader and regional partners for "bringing us to this point", before urging for "swift progress towards phase two".

The 20-point plan, orchestrated by the US president, proposes that Israel maintains an indefinite military presence inside Gaza, along its border with Israel. An international force, primarily made up of soldiers from Arab and Muslim countries, will oversee security within the enclave.

The Israeli military has confirmed it will continue to operate defensively from approximately 50% of Gaza that it still controls after retreating to agreed lines.

Former UK Labour Prime Minister, Sir Tony Blair, is set to play a key role in a "Board of Peace" overseeing governance in Gaza. Meanwhile, approximately 200 US troops have landed in Israel, where they are anticipated to establish a centre to streamline the delivery of humanitarian aid and offer security assistance.

The conflict in Gaza was sparked when militants led by Hamas launched an unexpected attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, resulting in the death of around 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 251.

In response, Israel launched a counter-offensive that has resulted in over 67,000 Palestinians being killed and nearly 170,000 injured in Gaza, as reported by Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry.

Both the United Nations and numerous independent experts regard the ministry's figures as the most accurate estimate of wartime casualties.