Tel aviv: Israel announced Sunday that hostages held in Gaza are expected to be released early Monday as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, stated that Israel is prepared to receive hostages if they are released earlier than anticipated. She also mentioned that Israel will release Palestinian detainees once the hostages are safely returned from Gaza.

According to Anadolu Agency, the ceasefire deal involves the release of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 others detained in Gaza since October 2023, in exchange for 48 Israeli hostages, including 20 alive. The agreement marks the first phase of a 20-point plan announced by US President Donald Trump on September 29. This plan aims to establish a ceasefire in Gaza, release all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and initiate a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip. The first phase of the deal came into effect on Friday.

The next phase of the plan aims to establish a new governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas' involvement, deploy a multinational force, and disarm Hamas. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have resulted in over 67,600 Palestinian deaths in the enclave, most of them women and children, and have rendered the area uninhabitable.