Gaza Hostages Likely to Be Released Monday or Tuesday — Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, October 9, that he expects the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza to be released on Monday, October 23, or Tuesday, October 24. He also expressed hope to attend a signing ceremony in Egypt and address the Israeli Knesset.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump discussed the agreement reached on Wednesday, which will see the hostages freed as part of the first phase of a broader Gaza peace plan. He described the development as a significant step toward achieving “lasting peace.”
According to Trump, the release of roughly 20 remaining hostages is expected to take place simultaneously, about 72 hours after a ceasefire takes effect. “We are getting the hostages back on Monday or Tuesday, and that’ll be a day of joy,” he said.
He acknowledged that retrieving the remains of hostages who died in captivity may be challenging, noting that “some of the bodies are going to be a little bit hard to find.”
Regarding his travel plans, Trump confirmed he would attempt to travel to the region to attend a signing ceremony, likely in Egypt, though the White House is still finalizing details for the hastily arranged trip. He also confirmed that he has agreed to speak at the Israeli parliament if officials there request it, following an invitation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Looking to the long term, the President commented on the rebuilding efforts, stating that Gaza is going to be “slowly redone.” He said, “we’re going to create something where people can live. You can’t live right now in Gaza.” Despite remaining questions about the region’s future, Trump expressed hope that the deal would result in “an everlasting peace.”
