HAMAS CONFIRMS: A top Hamas official confirmed to AFP that the release of 48 hostages held in Gaza will begin Monday morning under the terms of a US-mediated ceasefire agreement. “According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed, and there are no new developments on this matter,” said Osama Hamdan. Following the hostages’ return, Israel will release about 2,000 Palestinian security prisoners as part of the deal’s first stage.