Hostage Release: Trump Middle East Visit Preparations Advance

Preparations are underway on Sunday for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

A message sent Sunday from Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, and obtained by the Associated Press, told hostage families to prepare for the release of their loved ones starting on Monday morning.

In the message, Hirsch said preparations in the hospitals and in the Rei’im camp were complete to receive the live hostages, while the dead will be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.

Israeli officials said 48 hostages remain in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. All living hostages are expected to be released on Monday.

An international task force will start working to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within the 72-hour period, said Hirsch. Officials have said the search for the bodies of the dead, some of whom may be buried under rubble, could take time.

President Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning. He will meet with families of hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, according to a schedule released by the White House.

Mr. Trump will then continue on to Egypt, where the office of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has said he will co-chair a “peace summit” on Monday with attendance by regional and international leaders.

Timing has not yet been announced for the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel who are to be freed under the deal. They include 250 people serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 people seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge.

—By: CBS/AP