Sun Oct 12 16:27:53 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summarized news article based on the provided text, written from the perspective of The Hindu:

**Headline: Hostage Release Imminent in Gaza as Trump’s Peace Plan Moves Forward**

**Jerusalem, October 12, 2025:** Hamas announced it has completed preparations to release the remaining living hostages seized in the October 7, 2023 attacks, a move expected to begin early Monday (October 13, 2025). This release is a key component of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, paving the way for Israel to subsequently release approximately 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

Negotiations continue over the specifics of the prisoner exchange, with Hamas demanding the inclusion of seven senior Palestinian leaders, including Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Saadat, Ibrahim Hamed, and Abbas Al-Sayyed, on Israel’s release list. While Israel has previously rejected the inclusion of some of these figures, spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office confirmed the hostage release is scheduled to begin on Monday morning with the expectation of all 20 living hostages to be returned in a single exchange.

President Trump is scheduled to arrive in Israel shortly after the expected release and address the Israeli parliament before heading to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to host a summit of world leaders. This summit, co-chaired with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, aims to solidify support for Trump’s plan to end the two-year Gaza war and foster lasting peace in the Middle East. Key international figures, including U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Prime Ministers of Britain, Italy, Spain, and France, are expected to attend.

However, deep skepticism persists on the ground. Despite the ceasefire, aid deliveries in Gaza are marred by desperate residents scrambling for supplies, highlighting the lack of trust in the long-term prospects of the U.S.-led negotiations. Many displaced Gazans are returning to destroyed homes, facing the daunting task of rebuilding amidst widespread devastation.

Further complicating matters, Hamas has indicated it will not participate in post-war Gaza governance, but has said it agrees to a long term truce and their weapons will not be used unless Israel attacks Gaza. They have also pushed back against calls to disarm, suggesting a long-term truce where weapons would only be used in the event of an Israeli attack on Gaza. The plan involves a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, replaced by a U.S.-led multinational force.

The conflict has resulted in a devastating toll, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting at least 67,806 fatalities in Gaza, a figure deemed credible by the UN.

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