Hamas is expected to release hostages in Gaza starting at 8 AM local time on October 13th, 2025, with a second group to follow approximately one hour later, according to an update from Aviva Klompas. Families of hostages have been instructed to arrive at the Reāim base near Gaza by 7:30 AM for the reunification, with all living hostages and retrievable bodies to be released by noon. Concurrently, Israel will release 250 Palestinian prisoners, including 115 to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and 135 to Gaza or third countries, along with 1,722 Palestinians arrested after October 7th and 360 bodies of terrorists. President Donald Trump is scheduled to land in Israel just after 9 AM local time, where he will address the Knesset, meet with former hostages, and then proceed to Egypt for a summit on Gaza, as reported by ABC World News. The hostage release operations involve Hamas dividing captives into three groups in northern, central, and southern Gaza, who will be handed over to the Red Cross for transfer to IDF forces. Freed hostages will receive initial medical checks at Reāim base before being airlifted to hospitals. Separately, a report from @BreakTheSiege_ indicates a decision by Hamas to execute Israeli militias from the Daghmash family, who allegedly kidnapped and shot Saleh Aljafarawi. The release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners is a pivotal moment, with many Israelis closely monitoring the situation, as indicated by reports of people glued to screens at Hostage Square since 5 AM UTC. The prisoners designated for release are being transported from Israeli prisons. The process involves Hamas terrorists emerging from tunnels in uniform to hand over hostages to the Red Cross, who then transfer them to Israeli special forces for medical evaluation and family reunification. The aforementioned update from Aviva Klompas also states the IDF expects to conduct its own operations to retrieve remains buried under rubble. This exchange follows previous reports of Hamas moving hostages and preparations for prisoner transfers. President Trump's awareness of Hamas rearming was previously noted, with the U.S. granting them a period to act as a police force for safety in Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the U.S. and Israel, had temporarily closed food distribution sites as part of prisoner transfer protocols, though a GHF spokesperson stated these were "tactical changes" with no impact on their long-term mission. A will attributed to someone identified as S. Aljafarawi expresses a commitment to resistance and conveys personal recommendations to family members, reflecting a deep personal connection to the ongoing conflict. A summit planned for October 13th, 2025, in Pisgat Sharm-Sheikh was intended to include President Trump and Egyptian President Abd al-Fattah A-Sisi, among other international leaders, but notably excluded Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas. The GHF has distributed the equivalent of 185 million meals in Gaza since May, and the United Nations is preparing to take over food delivery with substantial supplies ready to enter Gaza once cleared by Israel. Previous reports mentioned protests against a ceasefire not arranged by President Trump.
