Israel’s Hostage and Missing Persons Coordinator, Brigadier General (Res.) Gal Hirsch, announced Sunday that the country is ready for the long-awaited release of hostages, which is anticipated to start early Monday morning.
Hirsch told reporters, “At the moment, on Monday at 6-7, the release begins to be realistic. But things can change.”
He explained that “Each Red Cross convoy that takes the hostages is expected to consist of between eight and 10 vehicles, including an ambulance, in case of an emergency.” He added, “Everything the Red Cross asked for from us, they got.”
Once the first group of hostages is released, they will immediately be received by Israeli representatives, including professionals specially trained and experienced in handling hostage returns over the past two years. The initial interaction will take place as soon as the hostages cross out of Gaza.
Following their initial debriefing, the hostages will be transported to Camp Re’im, where they will be reunited with their families. The military base has undergone significant expansion to accommodate the larger number of hostages expected this time. Each returnee will also receive a comprehensive medical evaluation upon arrival.
According to the health coordination plan, 10 of the released hostages will be taken to Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital, five will be transferred to Beilinson Hospital, and another five to Ichilov Hospital. Soroka and Barzilai hospitals remain on high alert to receive additional hostages if required.
Once the Red Cross successfully completes the transport of the living hostages to Israel, its teams will return to Gaza to recover the remains of those who perished while in captivity.
Hirsch also referred to the multinational task force set up to locate the missing—jointly led by the United States, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey—which will begin its mission after the bodies are retrieved. As Hirsch stated, “Where engineering activity is required, we will allow the entry of engineering equipment, or specialists if needed.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
