US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday that hostages held in Gaza will likely be released on Monday, after announcing earlier an agreement between Israel and Hamas on the first phase of a ceasefire.

In a statement to Fox News on Wednesday, Trump said, “I think the hostages will come back on Monday, including the bodies of the deceased,” noting that out of 251 people kidnapped during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, 47 remain held in Gaza, including 25 hostages whom the Israeli army says have died.

Trump added, “You will see Gaza rebuilt. We will participate in helping them succeed in this process and maintain peace there.”

According to Trump, the United States “will be part” of the peacekeeping process in Gaza.

Trump had said in a phone interview with Axios: “They want me to give a speech in the Knesset, and I will definitely do that if they want.”

The US president continued, “It is a great day for Israel and the world. My call with Bibi (Netanyahu) was wonderful, he is very happy and deserves to be. It is a great achievement. The whole world has united to reach this agreement.”

Earlier, Trump announced on the Truth Social platform that “Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of our peace plan. This means all hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw its forces to an agreed line as initial steps towards a strong, lasting, and sustainable peace.”

He explained that “all parties will be treated fairly. It is a great day for the Arab and Islamic worlds, for Israel, for all neighboring countries, and for the United States. We thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey who worked with us to make this historic and unprecedented event a success. Kudos to the peacemakers.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he will convene his government on Thursday to approve the agreement reached with Hamas to release hostages held in Gaza and to end the two-year-long war in the Palestinian territory.

Hamas, in a statement, said an agreement was reached to end the war on Gaza, withdraw the occupation, allow aid entry, and exchange prisoners. They highly appreciate the efforts of the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, and also value US President Donald Trump’s efforts to permanently end the war and fully withdraw the occupation from Gaza.

The statement called on “President Trump, the guarantor countries of the agreement, and various Arab, Islamic, and international parties to compel the occupation government to fully implement the agreement’s obligations and not allow it to renege or delay applying what was agreed upon.”

According to a source familiar with the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, the official signing of the agreement to implement the first phase of President Trump’s plan to stop the war in Gaza will take place in Egypt on Thursday at noon.

The source, who requested anonymity, said, “The official signing of the agreement will take place in Egypt on Thursday around noon (09:00 GMT).”