‘Our nightmare is coming to an end’: Trump flies to Israel to push through last critical hours of Gaza ceasefire
Donald Trump is en route to Israel and Egypt to oversee the critical hours of a Gaza ceasefire he helped broker, as relatives of hostages “held their breath” ahead of their expected release.
For the first time, Hamas militants have agreed to release all 48 remaining hostages – 20 alive, 26 confirmed dead, and two whose lives were “serious danger” with an unknown status. The deadline for Hamas to return the captives who have been held for two years expires at midday Monday (10am BST).
Shortly afterwards, 1,700 Palestinians detained from Gaza since October 2023 and 250 more serving life sentences will be released from Israeli detention. The bodies of 360 Palestinians Israel is holding will also be returned.
Leaving to fly to Israel ahead of the planned releases, Mr Trump told reporters Trump his trip would be: “very special event”.
“We're going to have an amazing time,” he added: “This is going to be a very special time. Everybody is very excited about this moment in time.”
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