The Israel Defense Forces, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, additional government ministries and security authorities, completed final preparations on Saturday to receive the first of the hostages are released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
Preparations included home-like conditions in trailers for hostages to sleep before they go to hospitals for check-ups and all the comforts of home, including baskets of toiletries and fresh clothes.
Inside the trailers, the hostages will have couches and potted plants for a bit of decoration. Outside they can sit on outdoor patio furniture accented with colorful large cushions.
Reception locations also have the necessary medical supplies.
Hostage receiving locations are set up to make them feel at home. (IDF)
From there, the hostages will be taken to hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families.
The IDF said it is asking for “patience and sensitivity” from the public while the hostages are returned.
We ask everyone to respect the privacy of the hostages and their families, the IDF said. “We ask the public to refer only to official updates and announcements and refrain from sharing unverified information.”
An IDF soldier makes preparations at the place where the hostages are expected to arrive on Sunday. (IDF)
Hamas has been holding hostages for nearly 500 days since Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The three hostages are expected to be the first to be freed on Sunday after a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday.
IDF personnel are making preparations at various locations and hospitals where the hostages will arrive. (IDF)
The first hostages freed are expected to be women.
A total of 33 hostages will be released, including two Americans. The Israelis will return more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel will not proceed with the draft agreement until it receives a list of hostages to be released. This was agreed after the names did not arrive from Qatar as expected on Saturday.
“Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement,” he said. “The sole responsibility rests with Hamas.
“In… war, we make it clear to our enemies – we make it clear to the whole world – that when the people of Israel stand together, there is no force that can break us.
Hamas is expected to release thirty-three hostages. (IDF)
“To date, we have brought home 157 of our abductees, of whom 117 are alive. According to the agreement that has now been approved, we will bring home 33 more of our brothers and sisters, most of whom are alive.”
He also gave credit to both President Biden and President-elect Trump with help in reaching a ceasefire agreement.
“As soon as he was elected, President Trump joined the mission to free the hostages,” Netanyahu said. “He spoke to me on Wednesday evening. He welcomed the agreement and rightly emphasized that the first step of the agreement is a temporary ceasefire. That’s what he said, “temporary ceasefire”.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Netanyahu said Biden and Trump “have been very supportive of Israel’s right to return to the fight if Israel concludes that Phase B negotiations are futile.”
Netanyahu too said he appreciated Trump’s decision to “remove all remaining restrictions on the supply of basic weapons and armaments to the State of Israel.”
