President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that both Israel and Hamas had "signed off" on the first phase of a peace plan in Gaza following negotiations in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh. A ceasefire then came into effect on Friday.
Phase one of the deal will see all remaining hostages returned from Gaza, a number of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails and the partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces inside the strip.
Israel 'ready' to receive hostages, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that his country was prepared to begin receiving hostages still held by Hamas.
"Israel is prepared and ready to immediately receive all of our hostages," he said, according to his office, during a conversation with Gal Hirsch, a retired Brigadier general who is serving as coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing.
People listen to speeches as they take part in a rally in support of hostages kidnapped by Hamas, at a plaza known as hostages square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025.
Francisco Seco/AP
The prime minister on Saturday toured a reception facility at Sheba Medical Center in Israel's Tel HaShomer, according to his office.
Oct 12, 2025, 6:41 AM EDT
Process for returning hostages to begin Monday, families told
Families of hostages were informed that the process of releasing their loved ones will begin on Monday morning, according to a letter sent to the families provided to ABC News by a senior Israeli Official on Sunday.
"The preparations for the absorption of the living kidnapped in the Gaza Strip, in the Re'im camp, in the hospitals, and in general in the government systems have been completed," the letter reviewed by ABC News said.
A drone photo of people gathering in "Hostages square," after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 11, 2025.
Aviv Atlas/Reuters
It added, "The preparations for the absorption of the deceased kidnapped have been completed, and they will be transferred in a respectful manner, in accordance with the appropriate procedure, to the Institute of Forensic Medicine to carry out the identification process."
-ABC News’ Ian Pannell, Jordana Miller and Somayeh Malekian
Oct 12, 2025, 5:20 AM EDT
Trump, El-Sisi to host summit in Egypt on Monday, Cairo says
Egypt is scheduled to host an international peace summit in the Red Sea town of Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump, the spokesman of Egyptian Presidency said in a statement on his official Facebook account late Saturday.
The gathering will be attended by leaders from more than 20 countries, the statement said.
Municipal workers hang a sign near the airport in Sharm el-Sheikh, as the Egyptian Red Sea resort prepares to host a US-brokered international Gaza peace summit, on Oct. 12, 2025.
Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty Images
The summit aims "to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability," according to the statement.
The Egyptian presidency said the meeting is part of "Trump’s vision to achieve peace in the region."
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian and Ayat Al-Tawy
Oct 11, 2025, 2:54 PM EDT
Trump 'stands with you always,' says Ivanka Trump at Hostages Square rally with Kushner, Witkoff
Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, United States special envoy to the Middle East, spoke at a rally Saturday at the Tel Aviv plaza known as "Hostages Square."
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (C) speaks as businessman Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump look on, during a gathering at "Hostages' Square" in Tel Aviv, to celebrate the agreement signed between Israel and Hamas for a hostageprisoner exchange deal based on a 20-point plan proposed by President Donald Trump, on Oct. 11, 2025.
Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
Their remarks about the proposed ceasefire come just a day before President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Israel amid Hamas' expected release of the hostages as agreed upon under the deal.
Ivanka, during her brief remarks, shared a message from her father, claiming, "He stands with you always."
"And the president wanted me to share, as he has with so many of you personally, that he sees you, he hears you, he stands with you always. Always," Ivanka Trump said, whose comment were met with cheers of "Thank you, Trump" from the crowd.
Witkoff kicked off the address, calling for "peace, unity and hope."
He added that "miracles can happen -- peace born not out of politics, but out of courage, the courage of those who refuse to give up hope."
Kushner warned against a premature celebration of the hostages being released.
"We're not going to celebrate tonight. We're going to celebrate on Monday when phase one gets into conclusion," Kushner said.
