KATHMANDU: The handover of 48 Israeli hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive, is set to begin shortly in Gaza.

The hostages will be transferred to the Red Cross, which will then hand them over to the Israeli military.

Red Cross vehicles have been spotted in Gaza, while Israeli helicopters await just outside the Strip.

Hamas, which has held the hostages since its attacks on 7 October 2023, has released a list of those being freed.

Notably, Nepali youth Bipin Joshi’s name is not on the released list.

In Tel Aviv, crowds are gathering at Hostages Square for updates on the release. “Today, all Israelis are together,” said one person at the square, expressing hope and relief.

The exchange deal involves Israel releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and over 1,700 detainees in return for the hostages.

US President Donald Trump is expected to arrive in Israel later this morning before heading to Egypt to join around 20 world leaders attending related talks.

En route, Trump declared that the “war is over” in Gaza, though key phases of the Israel-Hamas deal are still to be negotiated.