Trump Says Hamas to Release Hostages on October 13, 2025
Reporter
October 9, 2025 | 07:45 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the Palestinian group Hamas is expected to release all Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip on Monday, October 13, 2025.
As reported by Anadolu, Trump spoke by phone with the families of the Israeli hostages shortly after the declaration of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. During the call, the families expressed their gratitude for his mediation efforts.
Trump told them that all hostages would be freed on Monday, though he did not clarify whether the release would include the remains of those who had died in captivity.
“The deal goes to the Israeli Cabinet tomorrow (Thursday). Once they vote yes, Israel has to withdraw to the line, which should take under 24 hours,” a White House official told Anadolu on Wednesday on condition of anonymity.
“Then the 72-hour clock begins, and Hamas will try to go earlier if possible. Our assessment is that hostages will begin getting released on Monday,” the official added.
Trump earlier announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed on the first stage of a proposed Gaza deal.
“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that “All Parties will be treated fairly!.”
The U.S. president also said he might travel to the Middle East later this week.
The 20-point peace plan, first unveiled on September 29, calls for the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Around 250 hostages were taken to Gaza following Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities estimate that about 50 hostages remain in Gaza, including roughly 20 who are believed to still be alive.
Meanwhile, more than 11,000 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 3,544 detained without trial, according to the Israeli human rights organization HaMoked – Individual Defense Center.
Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023 up to the latest ceasefire announcement on Wednesday, more than 67,200 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed in Gaza. Continuous bombardments have rendered much of the enclave uninhabitable, triggering severe hunger and the spread of disease.
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