Israel expecting hostages will be released in early hours of Monday morning

The release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza is expected to take place in the early hours of Monday morning, Channel 12 reports, citing Israeli officials.

If conditions permit, the releases could begin as early as Sunday night, Channel 12 adds, noting that under the terms of the agreement, all hostages must be returned by 12:30 p.m. on Monday.

A senior Israeli official tells the Hebrew network that “not all timing details are clear to Israel,” adding that the uncertainty appears to be due to logistical preparations on Hamas’s side and not to intentional stalling by the terror group. The official adds that the exact hour will likely only be known a few hours before the release begins.

Talks are ongoing with the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is set to coordinate the transfer, the report adds. The releases are expected to take place either through a simultaneous evacuation of hostages from several locations across Gaza or through the transfer of all living hostages from a single collection point, in line with the agreement’s wording, according to Channel 12.

According to Channel 13, Israeli officials currently assess that Hamas prefers to concentrate all hostages at one location ahead of their release.