Top Hamas official says hostages' release to begin on Monday morning | International

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Oct 12, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A top Hamas official told AFP Saturday that the release of 48 mostly Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza would begin on Monday morning. "According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed, and there are no new developments on this matter," Osama Hamdan said in an interview with AFP. Hamas militants on the ground have not yet notified the movement's leadership about the logistics of the hostages' handover, Hamdan added. Following the return of the captives from Gaza, Israel will proceed with the release of about 2,000 Palestinian detainees from its prisons, according to the terms of the first stage...