What to know about the hostages and cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas set to begin Sunday

The Israeli authorities is finalizing a historical cease-fire and hostage merchandise statement with Hamas, marking a captious measurement successful the warfare since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack. Approved by the Israeli information cabinet, the woody volition instrumentality effect Sunday, with the archetypal 3 hostages expected to beryllium released. This statement follows weeks of intensive negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised U.S. President Biden and President-elect Trump for their roles successful advancing the negotiations. Netanyahu thanked Biden for his committedness and lauded Trump’s assertion that Gaza should ne'er again go a "haven for terrorism." 

Trump, successful a podcast interview, claimed his engagement accelerated the process, saying, "We changed the people of it, and we changed it fast."

Under the agreement, Hamas volition merchandise 33 hostages successful the archetypal phase, including women, children, aged men and individuals with captious aesculapian needs. Among them are 24-year-old Rumi Gonen, abducted from the Nova euphony festival, and Shiri Bibas with her 2 young sons, Ariel and babe Kfir. Families person been notified of the archetypal releases, portion details of consequent phases volition beryllium shared 24 hours anterior to implementation.

ISRAEL-HAMAS CEASE-FIRE, HOSTAGE RELEASE DEAL REACHED: 'AMERICANS WILL BE PART OF THAT'

Out of the 3 Americans believed live successful Gaza, lone 2 — Keith Siegel and Sagui Dekel-Chen — are included successful the archetypal phase. Sagui's woman gave commencement to their 3rd kid portion helium was successful captivity. Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier, is not connected the list.

Richard Goldberg, a elder advisor astatine FDD and erstwhile Trump NSC official, told Fox News past week Alexander being near disconnected the archetypal database "would beryllium a large strategical error."

In return, Israel volition merchandise hundreds of Palestinian information prisoners, including minors, women and individuals with wellness issues. Some of the notable prisoners see Nawal Abd Fattah, a 24-year-old convicted of attempting to stab an Israeli antheral successful 2020, and Ibrahim Zmar, a 15-year-old progressive successful a 2023 shooting successful Jerusalem. Those convicted of starring large panic attacks stay excluded from the deal.

The statement stipulates that released prisoners cannot beryllium arrested again connected the aforesaid charges and are not required to motion immoderate declarations upon their release. Each pistillate oregon kid hostage corresponds to the merchandise of 30 Palestinian prisoners, portion the merchandise of soldiers entails 30 life-sentenced prisoners and 20 serving agelong terms.

CEASE-FIRE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS GETTING CLOSER AMID CONCERNS TERROR GROUP REARMING IN GAZA

The woody besides facilitates humanitarian relief, allowing 600 trucks of supplies into Gaza daily. By the 22nd day, displaced Gazans volition beryllium allowed to instrumentality to bluish areas, with information inspections constricted to vehicles nether Qatari-Egyptian supervision. The Israeli subject volition trim its beingness successful definite areas portion retaining power of cardinal routes.

The merchandise docket begins with 3 hostages connected the archetypal day, followed by 4 connected the seventh day. Over the adjacent 5 weeks, groups of 3 hostages volition beryllium released play until the 35th day. Between the 35th and 42nd days, 12 much hostages volition beryllium freed, including long-held captives including Avera Mengistu, who has been held captive successful Gaza for a decade, and Hisham al-Sayed, a mentally sick idiosyncratic who crossed into Gaza connected his ain and has been held determination since earlier Oct. 7.

Negotiations for the 2nd signifier volition statesman connected the 16th time of the archetypal stage, focusing connected the merchandise of young men and soldiers and the instrumentality of bodies. This signifier volition commencement connected the 43rd day, lasting 42 days, with discussions addressing the remaining captives.

"When signifier 2 begins, determination volition beryllium an speech for the remaining surviving hostages, including antheral soldiers, and each remaining Israeli forces volition beryllium withdrawn from Gaza, making the impermanent cease-fire permanent," President Biden stated during a property league Wednesday. He besides noted that signifier 3 would impact returning the remains of hostages killed successful captivity and initiating a broad reconstruction program for Gaza.

Netanyahu, connected the different hand, speaking during a furniture meeting, emphasized that successful his discussions with some President Biden and President-elect Trump, 1 constituent was made explicitly clear: If negotiations for the 2nd signifier of the statement fail, Israel volition resume subject operations.

For families of the hostages, the statement represents some anticipation and heartbreak. Ronen and Orna Neutra, whose American-Israeli lad Omer was killed by Hamas and whose assemblage remains successful Gaza, called the woody bittersweet. 

"It's a pugnacious moment. On the 1 hand, we're blessed and excited for the families that volition hopefully get to spot their loved ones aft specified a agelong time," Orna Neutra told Fox News. 

"We're truly hopeful that this caller medication volition beryllium capable to bring the woody to fruition and volition person each the gravitas to enactment connected the antithetic parties successful the portion to travel done connected it. We spot President Trump that, you know, this is important to him and that helium volition marque definite that this happens."