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.