Trump Says Gaza Hostages Should Be Released Monday Or Tuesday As Israeli Government Approves Peace Plan

United States president Donald Trump on Thursday said that the Gaza hostages should be released by Monday or Tuesday and he plans to visit Egypt to sign the ceasefire deal. He made the comments during his opening remarks at the White House Cabinet meeting, NBC News reported. 

“We are getting the hostages back on Monday or Tuesday — and that’ll be a day of joy,” Trump said. “I'm going to try and make a trip over. We’re going to try and get over there, and we’re working on the timing, the exact timing,” he added. 

The Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi had also invited Trump to attend the ceremony. 

“It would be truly wonderful if, should an agreement be reached, you could attend its signing,” Sisi had said.

The Israeli government also approved the peace deal. "The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages — the living and the deceased," Netanyahu's office said in a statement on X.

Under the deal, the ceasefire should take place within 24 hours. The first-phase entails the release of all living and dead hostages. Israel is to release 250 life-sentence prisoners and 1,700 Palestinians detained after Oct. 7, 2023. 

The agreement also states that Hamas will lay down arms, Israeli troops will withdraw from the territory, and humanitarian aid will be delivered. 

Trump, however, told reporters that while the US knows where most of the hostages believed to be alive are, finding the bodies of deceased hostages could be a "bigger problem."

"Actually, the bodies are a bigger problem, because some of the bodies are going to be a little bit hard to find," Trump said. "The situation with the bodies, you know, they say 20, 28, some are going to be a little bit hard to find. But we're going to do the best we can."

Trump also claimed that he would try and make a speech before the Israeli parliament, the Knesset.

He stated that his 20-point peace plan would lead to “lasting peace” in Gaza. “We're going to create something where people can live. You can’t live right now in Gaza.”