The IDF is ready to receive hostages starting from 8 a.m., a top security source told The Jerusalem Post on Monday morning.
Despite that, as of last night, the expectation was hostages would arrive at Israel closer to 9 or 10 a.m.
The three expected locations are Gaza City, central Gaza, and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
If the live hostages are stable, they will move from Red Cross custody to IDF custody, then to Camp Re'im, before being transferred the three hospitals: Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Sourasky Medical Center's Ichilov Hospital, and Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva.
However, if a live hostage is in immediate medical danger, a helicopter will be sent to rush them to Soroka Medical Center or to Barzilai Medical Center.
Previously, The Jerusalem Post reported that the hostages would be released at 6 or 7 a.m. Later, it was reported that the hostages' families were told to expect their loved ones around 8 a.m.
<strong>IDF expects delay on release of deceased hostages </strong><br>
The IDF expects that some deceased hostages will be returned on Monday, but has no set numbers about how many, and is prepared for that part of the process to be drawn over multiple days or longer.
Part of the process will also involve identifying the remains with specific hostages.
According to the IDF, Hamas is bound to assist a joint mechanism associated with the Trump ceasefire to help locate other deceased hostages, where finding them may be less of an exact science.
Upon their arrival in Israeli territory, the hostages will first meet privately with a dedicated team of psychological experts who also assisted in previous hostage releases in late 2023 and early 2025.
Following the aforementioned meetings, the hostages will arrive at Re’im camp, where they will reunite with their families for the first time since their kidnapping during the October 7 massacre.
In addition, the returning captives will undergo medical examinations in a specialized room at the Re’im complex, which has been significantly expanded since they are expected to be released in larger batches than in previous releases.