Israeli hostages expected to be released on Monday morning ahead of President Trump's visit to Israel

Israeli authorities are preparing for a Monday morning release of the remaining hostages, Hebrew media reported on Saturday night. 

Gal Hirsch, the coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons, told families of the hostages on Saturday that the government believes the release will take place on Monday morning. 

“We demand, expect, and are working to ensure that Hamas, with the assistance of the international force, makes a full (100%) effort to complete the mission and return all deceased hostages so they may be laid to rest in Israel,” Hirsch wrote.

The Red Cross held a coordination call with the IDF’s Prisoners and Missing Persons Division on Saturday evening, indicating that it expects to use between six and eight vehicles for the upcoming hostage transfer.

At the same time, government authorities are preparing for the possibility that the release could happen as early as late Sunday evening or overnight. A senior Hamas official told AFP that the release would begin on Monday morning. Hamas also affirmed that 20 living hostages would be released. In recent weeks, there had been growing concern that additional hostages may have died.

Hamas reportedly plans to release the hostages before the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump in Israel on Monday, as a sign of good faith. 

Following the IDF’s withdrawal to the agreed-upon line on Friday, Hamas has 72 hours to complete the hostage release according to the terms of the Trump peace plan. 

On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Sheba Medical Center, one of the hospitals preparing to receive the returning hostages. 

While Hamas is reportedly attempting to locate the remains of deceased hostages, a Channel 12 News report indicated that the group has also begun providing the remaining captives with more food in recent days, apparently to improve their appearance ahead of the release. However, Israel has reportedly urged Hamas not to overfeed the hostages, warning that doing so could pose health risks.

The living hostages are reportedly concentrated in one location ahead of the release. 

Many around the world were shocked by the appearance of the male hostages released in the hostage-ceasefire deal earlier this year, with Trump comparing them to Holocaust survivors. Images of the surviving hostages released in Hamas propaganda videos have similarly shown them in a severely malnourished condition. 

Meanwhile, Hamas indicated that it could release hostages as early as Sunday evening. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Hamas informed Israel through intermediaries that it is prepared to "release the 20 hostages who are alive today." Reports in Arab media had previously claimed that the hostage release could take place as early as 6 a.m.

Israeli media also reported that Israel had demanded a “closure order” around parts of Gaza where the remains of hostages could be located, as it does not anticipate that Hamas will release all of the remains of the deceased hostages on Monday. The closure order would prevent reconstruction work in areas where the hostages' remains are believed to be located until Israeli authorities have an opportunity to search the area. Hamas has reportedly agreed to the request. 

The report came after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff told hostage families that he believes Hamas might not be able to locate all the remains of the deceased hostages by the Monday morning deadline. 

Following the release of the hostages, Israel will release 250 Palestinian security prisoners serving life sentences for participation in terror attacks, along with 1,700 other prisoners, including women and children.