Trump expects Israeli hostages to be released Monday as families cheer Gaza peace deal

President Trump said Wednesday that he expects Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages on Monday, following a breakthrough peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian terror group.

“The big thing is hostages are going to be released probably, our time, would be, probably Monday,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity, in an interview hours after he announced both Hamas and Israel had agreed to the first phase of his 20-point plan for peace in the Middle East.

“They’re in a terrible situation there,” Trump said of the 48 hostages believed to be in Gaza, more than half of which are thought to be dead.

“They’re deep in the earth, and they’re being gotten and a lot of things are happening right now as we speak,” the president continued.

“So much is happening to get the hostages freed, and we think they’ll all be coming back on Monday.”

A senior White House official explained that the deal, which is expected to pause fighting in Gaza as well, will head to the Israeli cabinet on Thursday for approval – and then Israeli troops must begin to pullback from some parts of the strip. 

“The deal goes to the Israeli cabinet tomorrow. Once they vote yes, Israel has to withdraw to the line which should take under 24 hours,” the senior White House official said. 

“Then the 72 hour clock begins, and Hamas will try to go earlier if possible. Our assessment is that hostages will begin getting released on Monday,” the official added. 

Shortly after announcing the peace deal, Trump shared a video on his Truth Social of families of hostages celebrating the development.

“And today, President Trump has done it. He announced just now that our loved ones, the hostages, are coming home,” a family member said in the video.

“We will not stop fighting until we see the last of the 48 return to their family, those who were murdered in captivity, buried in the Land of Israel, those who are still alive, walking through the border and reuniting with their families.”

The family members were standing in front of a banner bearing the faces of the remaining hostages, and noting that their loved ones have spent the last “two years in captivity.”  

“Thank you, President Trump, for your courage,” a man in front of the banner said. “Thank you to the Trump administration for doing everything you can to bring them home.”

Trump described it as a “great honor to be involved” in he views as “probably the biggest deal ever made.” 

The president revealed in his interview with Hannity that he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the deal was announced.   

“He said, ‘I can’t believe it.’ He said, ‘Everybody’s liking me now,’ meaning him,” Trump said of his conversation with Netanyahu.

“I said, ‘Israel cannot fight the world, Bibi, they can’t fight the world.’ And he understands that very well,” the president added. 

Trump argued that the June US airstrikes against nuclear facilities in Iran, and his sweeping tariff agenda, were instrumental in the peace agreement. 

“Iran was 1 month, maybe 2 months, away from obtaining a nuclear weapon … If I allowed that to happen, this deal would not have been possible,” Trump said. 

“Or if it was, it would have a tremendous cloud over it,” he added, claiming that Iran has “blessed the deal.”

As for the future of the Gaza strip, Trump predicted it would become a “much safer place” and signaled the US would be involved in keeping the peace. 

“It’s going to be a place that reconstructs, and other countries in the area will help it reconstruct, because they have tremendous amounts of wealth, and they want to see that happen,” the president said,  “and we’ll be involved in helping them make it successful and helping it stay peaceful.”