After more than two years of fighting that have killed tens of thousands of people, Israel is set to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and welcome the return of 20 hostages seized by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023.

That attack saw Hamas sweep across the border and kill about 1200 Israelis and kidnap about 250 more, most of whom – living or dead – have since been released.

US President Donald Trump is also travelling to the strife-torn region today after an invitation to address the Israeli parliament. Here’s what to expect in the coming hours.

When will the hostages be released?

There is no specific time set for the release but all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages are expected to be released on Monday morning local time.

As of 6am Monday AEDT it was 10pm Sunday in Israel. Thus, the hostages can be expected to return home sometime today.

A message sent Saturday from Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing and obtained by the Associated Press, 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.

There are believed to be 28 dead hostages whose remains will returned later.

Israel has stipulated that unlike previous hostage exchanges, there is to be no “parading” of captives.

Instead, they are expected to be loaded into cars and driven home under the cover of darkness.

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

What is Israel’s next move?

The trigger for the release of the Hamas hostages was Israel’s military withdrawal from much of the Gaza Strip.

Currently being finalised are plans to release about 2000 Palestinian prisoners, including roughly 1700 seized during Israel’s invasion of Gaza who are being held without charge.

Health authorities in Gaza are preparing for the return of the prisoners – many of whom are expected to require “urgent treatment” – and dead bodies taken by Israel’s military from the strip, Dr Mounir al-Boursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in the enclave, said in a statement.

He said he hopes that the bodies of medical personnel who died in Israeli detention centers will be among those handed over and called for the release of doctors Hossam Abu Safiya and Marwan al-Hams, who were detained from Gaza during the war.

A Palestinian official speaking anonymously told the Associated Press that a Hamas delegation in Egypt was still pushing for final agreements as to which Israeli captives would be released.

Aid to flow into ‘wasteland’

The United Nations humanitarian chief said that the US and Egypt will co-chair a summit at a Red Sea resort on Monday to show the international community’s commitment to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

“There are so many things that could go wrong in the coming days and weeks,” Tom Fletcher told The Associated Press in Cairo.

“But all of us working on this want to get the hostages home and want to get masses and masses of aid … into Gaza to save as many lives as possible.”

Fletcher said trucks of aid have begun going into Gaza on Sunday, including cooking gas for the first time in months but not yet at the scale they hope for in the days and weeks ahead.

“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” he said.

“We are looking to the world to respond with real generosity. We will deliver outside of that plan, but we need the funding, and we need the access. And of course, we need this peace agreement, this ceasefire, to hold.”

Eri Kaneko, a spokesperson for the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said other aid moving through include flour, fruit and meat.

She added that officials were also given additional access to move in medical equipment and help move Palestinians from flood-prone areas to safer locations ahead of the winter.

Trump is en route to the Middle East and is expected to arrive in Israel on Monday morning local time.

He has taken up an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahy to address the Knesset, the country’s parliament.

US Vice President JD Vance said Trump is also expected to meet with the newly-freed hostages.

Trump 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” on Monday with attendance by regional and international leaders.

Reported with the Associated Press.