U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday the hostages held by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza are due to "come back" on Monday.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said there were approximately 28 bodies to be recovered. He said he thought he would be traveling to Cairo and he would later speak to the Israeli Knesset, before returning to the U.S. on Tuesday.
Speaking with reporters at the White House, Trump confirmed, “[Hamas] are getting them now.” He added, “They are also getting the bodies; approximately 28 bodies. Some of those bodies are being unearthed right now as we speak. It’s a tragedy.”
Trump also announced plans to visit Israel and deliver an address to the Knesset, followed by a stop in Egypt. “It's a great deal for Israel, but it’s a great deal for everybody — for Arabs, for Muslims, for the world,” he said.
Addressing the postwar phase, Trump expressed hope for a sweeping regional shift: “Hopefully you're going to have great success, I call it everlasting success. I think you're going to have tremendous success, and Gaza is going to be rebuilt. And you have some very wealthy countries over there, and it would take a small fraction of their wealth to do that, and I think they want to do it.”
“I think [the ceasefire] will hold,” he continued. “They’re all tired of the fighting. Don't forget, you had October 7, which was a horrible day, but Hamas has lost 58,000 people. That’s big retribution. I think they're all tired of fighting. This is beyond Gaza; this is peace in the Middle East, and it is a beautiful thing.”
Asked what persuaded Hamas that Israel would not resume fighting after the hostages' release, Trump said, “I spoke a little bit tough — and that’s what would happen. You have to speak tough. That's a tough world, that's a tough neighborhood. They’re very tough people, and they're smart people, good negotiators. They put that to good use; they’re going to be very successful. But they knew the retribution would be tremendous, unsustainable — it would have been complete obliteration, and they didn't want that. Nobody wants it at this point.”
In Israel, officials said they also expect the hostages to be released Monday, but preparations are underway in case the handover occurs sooner. A senior Israeli official told Ynet, “It could happen any day from now. Hamas is obligated to complete the release within 72 hours — by Monday at noon. We are fully prepared across all systems for an early release, but so far have no indication it will happen ahead of schedule.”
The official said Israel demanded that all 20 living hostages be returned in a single phase. “We are also preparing for the possibility that Hamas may release them in stages — but still within the 72-hour window,” the official added. “We have assessments about their medical condition, and all information is in the hands of the authorized agencies.”
Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency Ultra Palestine reported, citing informed sources, that the release is set for Monday morning under direct Red Cross supervision, without any formal ceremony. The sources also said the Rafah crossing would open Saturday for humanitarian aid convoys and would reopen for passenger movement in both directions on Wednesday.