Trump LIVE: US President hails 'very special time' as he departs for Israel

Hundreds have gathered in Tel Aviv during the early hours of Monday morning, watching tribute videos to those taken captive in Gaza as they anxiously await the return of the remaining 20 hostages.

More images have come in of the large crowds, many of whom are tearful as their two-year wait finally comes to an end.

Anxious family and friends of the remaining 20 Israelis held in captivity in Gaza have gathered in Tel Aviv as dawn breaks on the day when their loved ones will finally be returned to them.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum shared a picture of those gathering in Hostages Square, which has seen many fraught moments over the last two horrifying years for those affected.

In that post, they reference Alon Ohel, a 24-year-old pianist who was taken hostage after fleeing the Nova Music Festival on October 7. Testimony from surviving captives has said Alon may have lost vision in one eye due to his injuries from that day.

20 living hostages are currently being taken from the locations where they have been held in captivity by Hamas and Palestinian Jihad operatives and returned home after two years of hell.

The operation to safely return the Israeli citizens will follow a similar procedure to previous hostage releases, with the International Committee of the Red Cross facilitating the transfer from Gaza.

Israeli special military forces will then take them from a secure location to Re'im military base in southern Israel, on the other side of the Gaza fence. All 20 will then go to hospital to receive medical evaluations, before returning home to rebuild their lives.

Twenty Israeli hostages, held captive for over two years, are on the brink of freedom as nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners also prepare for their release.

Many of the hostages may be unable to walk, severely dehydrated, or will need assistance to make the journey to freedom, while anxious family members wait for them just beyond the border.

In recent days, both terror groups have been working to gather all 20 hostages, attempting to conceal their previous locations. Israeli sources anticipated that the hostages would be released early Monday morning, although officials stated they were prepared to receive them even earlier.

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Britain will provide a £20 million humanitarian package to rebuild Gaza's destroyed water and sanitation systems, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said as he landed in Egypt for the summit on ending the war.

Further details will be revealed later on Monday, when the UK will also begin hosting three days of talks on the reconstruction of Gaza, where 92 per cent of residential homes have been destroyed by Israel.

Foreign Secretary Yvetter Cooper said: “Gaza has been completely devastated. The ceasefire gives us the opportunity not just to urgently scale up humanitarian efforts but also to look to the future of Gaza’s recovery. Rubble must be cleared, infrastructure repaired, healthcare restored and homes rebuilt.”

Comments made by President Trump during his flight to Israel on Air Force One have emerged, with the US leader sharing hopeful word for this 'special' moment in history.

Trump told reporters that his peace plan had been praised by both sides in the bitter Israel-Gaza conflict, saying that 'everybody's cheering at one time.'

“Everybody’s very excited about this moment in time. This is a very special event,” said Trump. “Everybody’s cheering at one time; that’s never happened before. Usually, if you have one cheering, the other isn’t; the other is the opposite.”

As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel is to release around 2,000 Palestinians. Among them are some 1,700 people who troops seized from Gaza during the war and who have been held without charge since.

Also among those being released are some 250 Palestinians serving prison sentences.

Many are members of Hamas and the Fatah faction who were imprisoned over shootings, bombings or other attacks that killed or attempted to kill Israelis, as well as others convicted on lesser charges. They will return to the West Bank or Gaza or be sent into exile.

It is unclear who will be among the prisoners released back into Gaza, and whether any will be deported.

Donald Trump briefly spoke to reporters before heading to his plane that will take him to Israel.

Sunday was day 737 since the hostages were taken – a number many Israelis have updated daily on strips of adhesive tape worn in national commemoration.

Israel said on Sunday that it expects the 20 living hostages to be released together on Monday. They were then to be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross, and to the Israeli military, which planned to take them to the Reim military base in southern Israel to be reunited with their families.

Israel then planned to take the hostages to centres around Israel but asked the Red Cross to have ambulances ready in case a hostage needs immediate care after more than two years in captivity.

It appeared unlikely that the remains of up to 28 others will be returned at the same time. Medical experts and advocates say that would be crucial to begin the healing process for many families, and for society at large, but one ceasefire document contains stipulations for remains that are not returned within 72 hours.

Donald Trump is expected depart the White House this evening, arriving in Israel tomorrow morning.

It is common for the president to speak with reporters on Air Force One on such trips but it remains unclear if that will be the case this evening.

Donald Trump was “absolutely right” to drain “every sinew” to reach a Gaza ceasefire, Dame Priti Patel has said, including by negotiating directly with Hamas.

It was put to the shadow foreign secretary on Times Radio that it is “quite remarkable” for the US president to speak with the proscribed organisation, particularly after Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted to eliminate it.

Ms Patel responded: “I think first of all, we just have to recognise the circumstances are changing.

“The level of inhumanity that we’ve seen is unsustainable… I think it’s absolutely right, quite frankly, that Donald Trump has drained every sinew – he’s brought Prime Minister Netanyahu to the table, he’s having difficult conversations, he’s saying the things that probably Hamas and Prime Minister Netanyahu did not want to hear”.

The US ambassador to Israel has called Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson “delusional” for claiming the UK played a “key role” in securing the ceasefire in Gaza.

The Education Secretary earlier on Sunday defended Britain’s contribution to peace efforts “behind the scenes” while acknowledging the “critical” work had been carried out by the White House.

Mike Huckabee, who was part of US President Donald Trump’s negotiating team for the peace deal, appeared to mock Ms Phillipson’s assertion in a post on social media.

“I assure you she’s delusional. She can thank Donald Trump any time just to set the record straight,” he said in a post on X.

A public row between key figures in the UK and US Governments could prove awkward for Sir Keir Starmer as he prepares to join world leaders at a summit on Gaza co-chaired by Mr Trump on Monday.

Speaking in a press conference, Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that the planned release of hostages does not end Israel's campaign against its enemies.

He said: "People didn't believe it was going to happen.

"I will not remain quiet until I bring them home.

"The campaign has not ended. There are many security challenges ahead of us.

"Some of our enemies are trying to rehabilitate themselves in order to attack us again, but we are on it, as we say."

The White House says momentum is building in part because Arab and Muslim states are demonstrating a renewed focus on resolving the broader, decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, in some cases, deepening relations with the United States.

“I think you are going to have tremendous success and Gaza is going to be rebuilt,” Mr Trump said Friday.

“And you have some very wealthy countries, as you know, over there. It would take a small fraction of their wealth to do that. And I think they want to do it.”

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement calls for the release of the final 48 hostages held by Hamas, including about 20 believed to be alive; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gaza’s main cities.

Israeli troops on Friday finished withdrawing from parts of Gaza, triggering a 72-hour countdown under the deal for Hamas to release the Israeli hostages, potentially while Mr Trump is on the ground there. He said he expected their return to be completed on Monday or Tuesday.

Mr Trump will visit Israel first to meet hostage families and address the Knesset, or parliament, an honour last extended to President George W Bush during a visit in 2008.

Government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said that Palestinian prisoners would only be released once Israel receives all hostages.

Around 250 convicted Palestinians and 1,700 detained since the October 7 attacks will be freed from Israeli jails.

She said: "What we're saying right now is that the Palestinian prisoners will be released once Israel has confirmation that all of our hostages... cross the border into Israel.

"And once we have that confirmation, we are expecting that the prisoners will already be on the buses.

"Once the confirmation comes through, they have crossed into Israeli territory, those buses will start."

Sir Tony Blair, who was poised to potentially join a “Board of Peace” supervising governance of Gaza under Donald Trump's peace plans, met the deputy chief of the Palestinian Authority on Sunday.

Hussein Al-Sheikh said he had “confirmed our readiness to work with President Trump, Mr Blair” and other partners to secure the entry of aid and the release of hostages and prisoners, before starting on “recovery and reconstruction”.

“We stressed the importance of stopping the undermining of the Palestinian Authority, and especially the return of the withheld Palestinian revenues and preventing the undermining of the two-state solution in preparation for a comprehensive and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy,” he said in a post on X.

US President Donald Trump, who pushed to clinch the ceasefire deal, is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning.

He will meet with families of hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, according to a schedule released by the White House.

He will then continue on to Egypt, where the office of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has said he will co-chair a “peace summit” attended by regional and international leaders.

Timing has not yet been announced for the release of some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel who are to be freed under the deal. They include 250 people serving life sentences in addition to 1,700 people seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge.

Preparations are also under way on Sunday for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners detained in Israel.

A message sent on Saturday from Gal Hirsch, Israel’s co-ordinator, told hostage families to prepare for the release of their loved ones starting Monday morning. One of the families of the hostages confirmed the note’s authenticity.

Mr Hirsch said preparations in hospitals and in Rei’im camp are complete to receive the live hostages, while the dead will be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.

An international taskforce will start working to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within the 72-hour period, said Mr Hirsch. Officials have said the search for the bodies of the dead, some of whom may be buried under rubble, could take time.

Israeli officials believe about 20 of the hostages out of 48 held by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza are still alive. All of the living hostages are expected to be released on Monday.

Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that reports of US troop deployments were incorrect.

Asked about reports that the U.S. military is preparing options to deploy as many as 200 troops to Israel to support the flow of humanitarian aid and security assistance into Gaza, Vance said: "What we already have is a U.S. Central Command.

"We already have people in that region of the world. They're going to monitor the terms of the cease fire. They're going to monitor, ensure that the humanitarian aid is flowing.

"They actually confirmed yesterday that Israel pulled back to the agreed-upon lines, which of course is the first condition.

"The second term is for the hostages to be released. So we have people in that region of the world who are going to monitor parts of this peace proposal.

"But the president is not planning to put boots on the ground in Israel."

In recent months, the UN and its partners have been able to deliver only 20% of the aid needed in Gaza because of the fighting, border closures and Israeli restrictions on what enters.

Expanding Israeli offensives and restrictions on humanitarian aid have triggered a hunger crisis, including famine in parts of the territory.

The UN has said it has about 170,000 metric tons of food, medicine and other humanitarian aid ready to enter Gaza once Israel gives the green light.

Abeer Etifa, a spokeswoman for the World Food Programme, said workers are clearing and repairing roads inside Gaza on Sunday to facilitate delivery.

Preparations are under way for a ramp-up of aid entering the Gaza Strip under a ceasefire deal many hope will signal an end to the devastating two-year war.

The Israeli defence body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, said the volume entering Gaza is likely to now increase to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement.

Egypt said it is sending 400 trucks carrying aid into Gaza on Sunday. The trucks will have to be inspected by Israeli forces before being allowed in.

Associated Press footage showed dozens of trucks crossing the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing. The Egyptian Red Crescent said the trucks include medical supplies, tents, blankets, food and fuel.

JD Vance continued: "I think Americans should be proud of the entire administration. They should be proud of their country because we've worked so hard to make peace in the Middle East happen.

"And we are right on the cusp of bringing these hostages home. It'll be a great moment for our country, a great moment for the world.

"But I really do think the lesson here is that Donald Trump refused to go down the failed traditional diplomatic pathway.

He cut his own Trump diplomatic pathway. And because of that, it was successful."

Speaking to NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, US Vice President JD Vance said the release of the remaining hostages was imminent.

He explained: "Well, it really should be any moment now, Kristen. The president of the United States is planning to travel to the Middle East to greet the hostages Monday morning, Middle Eastern time, which should be late, you know, Sunday night or very early Monday morning here in the United States.

"So you can't say exactly the moment they will be released. But we have every expectation (that's why the president is going) that he will be greeting the hostages early next week. It's a monumental thing. It's great of course for their families.

"But I really do think that it shows what happens when you go outside the traditional failed diplomatic route and actually try something new."

Israel has rejected a Cabinet minister's claim the UK played a "key role" in securing the Gaza ceasefire as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to join other world leaders at a peace summit on the Middle East.

Benjamin Netanyahu's deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel said she would "have to contradict" the assertion that Britain had been a leading player "behind the scenes".

Earlier on Sunday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defended the UK's efforts towards ending the war in Gaza, where a fragile truce is holding following an agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.

"We have played a key role behind the scenes in shaping this," she told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

Opposition figures have dismissed claims that Britain played a meaningful part in securing the Gaza ceasefire.

Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel said the Starmer government had “no role whatsoever” in reaching the truce, calling the Prime Minister’s trip to Egypt a “photo opportunity.”

She accused the government of focusing on foreign diplomacy instead of domestic issues. Ministers insist the UK helped shape early diplomatic efforts through “quiet engagement” with allies.

The row highlights growing pressure on Starmer to demonstrate Britain’s relevance on the world stage.

About 200 US troops have arrived in Israel to assist with logistics and aid coordination, various media outlets have reported.

The deployment includes personnel setting up a regional centre to facilitate the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.

Aid trucks have been moving through Egyptian crossings in increasing numbers as the truce holds for a third day.

American forces are also expected to provide security and intelligence support to the multinational peace contingent.

The US move underscores Washington’s central role in sustaining the ceasefire and monitoring compliance on the ground.

Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan would see Israel retain an open-ended military presence along Gaza’s border, while a multinational Arab-led force handles internal security.

The arrangement is designed to prevent Hamas’s return to power while allowing for reconstruction under international oversight. Israeli forces will continue limited operations from the roughly 50% of Gaza they still control.

Britain has ruled out sending troops to join the monitoring mission. The first stage of the plan focuses on hostage and prisoner exchanges, with humanitarian corridors already expanding.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will attend Monday’s Cairo summit alongside Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to mark the signing of a 20-point Gaza peace plan.

Downing Street said Starmer will pay “particular tribute” to Trump and regional partners for bringing talks to this stage.

The Prime Minister is expected to urge “swift progress” toward the next phase of the peace process, including establishing a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

French President Emmanuel Macron will also attend, according to the Elysee Palace. Critics have accused Sir Keir of seeking a photo opportunity rather than exerting real diplomatic influence.

The ceasefire holding in Gaza is a “massive step forward” but “only the start of a process,” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said on Sunday.

She defended the UK’s involvement in brokering the initial stages of the truce ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s trip to Egypt for Monday’s summit.

Ms Phillipson insisted Britain had played a “key role behind the scenes” but warned there was no “cast-iron guarantee” the peace would last.

She stressed that Hamas would have “no role” in Gaza’s reconstruction as negotiations moved toward a two-state solution.

She told the BBC: “We’re hopeful this peace can endure but no-one can give any form of absolute guarantee.”

Israel is preparing for the return of remaining hostages under a fragile ceasefire deal as Donald Trump prepares to visit the region for the signing of a new Gaza peace plan. The truce, brokered by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, has largely held ahead of Monday’s summit in Cairo, where world leaders including Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron are set to attend.

The first phase of the plan is expected to see hostages freed and Palestinian prisoners released by morning.

In total, 20 remaining hostages are believed to be alive, with Hamas also having 28 bodies.

Israeli forces have begun pulling back to agreed positions, while maintaining a defensive presence across roughly half of Gaza. Humanitarian aid has started to enter the enclave in larger volumes amid cautious optimism that the ceasefire will hold.