Following delays in providing the names of the hostages expected to be released today (Sunday)—which prompted further Israeli strikes—Hamas submitted the list at 10:00 AM. Israeli officials confirmed the names 30 minutes later. Shortly after, the Prime Minister’s Office announced: “As per the terms of the hostage release agreement, the first phase ceasefire in Gaza will take effect at 11:15 AM.”
A Brother’s Emotional Post
Shortly after the ceasefire was implemented, Shachaf Gonen, the brother of hostage Romi Gonen, posted a heartfelt Instagram story: “Romi is on the list. Official. Good luck to all of us.” Later in the day, the families of Emily Damari and Doron Steinbracher were also informed that their loved ones are expected to be released today.
Hostage Release Plan and Timeline
The release is scheduled for after 4:00 PM today. An additional four hostages are set to be freed in seven days. Families will be informed of the names of those released 24 hours prior to the next stage.
As part of the initial 42-day phase, 33 hostages are slated for release. These include women (such as surveillance officers abducted from the Nahal Oz outpost), children, elderly men over 50, and those who are ill or injured but not combatants. The deal also includes the return of Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held in Gaza for over a decade.
Operation “Wings of Freedom”: Reception Preparations
The IDF has established three reception points at Re’im, Kerem Shalom, and Erez, where the released hostages will undergo initial medical examinations and receive mental health support. The hostages will then be transferred to hospitals, including Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan. Other hospitals have also prepared to receive hostages in parallel.
Watch IDF preparations to bring hostages home:
Israel’s Defensive Strategy Amid the Deal
Under the agreement, the IDF will retain control of buffer zones along the Gaza border but will gradually withdraw from populated areas. The redeployment along the Philadelphi Route is planned to conclude by Day 50, provided hostilities do not resume.
The IDF has developed a new defense strategy to strengthen the border with Gaza. Troops will remain stationed along clear defensive lines, and residents will not be permitted to return to areas near the Israeli border where the military operates.
In a statement, the IDF emphasized: “We are prepared along clear defensive lines and ready to neutralize any threats. Any attack on our forces will be met with an aggressive response.”
Chief of Staff’s Statement
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi stated last night:
“In the coming days, the IDF will implement a reinforced defense plan for the Gaza border that was preplanned. This strategy combines defensive and offensive measures. In our commitment to the Israeli public—a commitment we failed to uphold on October 7—we are determined to stand firm and ensure such a horrific, brutal event never happens again. Our combat operations have already created a new reality on the ground.”
