Vice President JD Vance said 20 living hostages are expected to be released in the next 24 hours.
The Israel–Hamas cease-fire brokered by President Donald Trump held for a third day on Oct. 12, offering hope for a more lasting peace years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
By noon on Oct. 13, the Hamas terrorist group is expected to release the remaining hostages from that attack. Israel, meanwhile, is expected to release 1,700 Palestinians who have been detained in Gaza.
During an interview with ABC News on Oct. 12, Vice President JD Vance said 20 living hostages are expected to be released in the next 24 hours.
“Israel is prepared and ready to immediately receive all of our hostages,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released on social media on Oct. 12. According to the Israeli government, a reception facility for hostages has been set up at Sheba Medical Center.
The standstill in hostilities came ahead of Trump’s planned trip to the Middle East, where he plans to meet with hostages, speak at Israel’s parliament, and meet with Netanyahu on Oct. 13. Trump is expected to join other leaders for a peace summit later that day in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
“We are on the cusp of true peace in the Middle East, really for the first time in my lifetime,” Vance told ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
He added that it was not the administration’s intention to have troops on the ground but there were already U.S. troops in the area who will monitor the terms of the cease-fire, such as ensuring Hamas doesn’t attack innocent Israelis.
Residents of Gaza have already started to return home after two years of conflict and devastation to the area. About 90 percent of Gaza’s 2 million residents have been displaced, and more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, with around half of the deaths representing women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. The number does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, and The Epoch Times is unable to verify its accuracy.
The United Nations said it was clearing roads inside Gaza for the delivery of food amid a hunger crisis in the territory. Hundreds of trucks with humanitarian aid, including 400 from Egypt, were expected in Gaza on Oct. 12.
By Sam Dorman
