US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference in Washington, DC, US, October 1, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
President Donald Trump plans to greet Israeli hostages “personally” after they are released from Gaza by the terror group Hamas, Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday.
Trump is scheduled to fly to Israel on Sunday afternoon.
Vance confirmed The Wall Street Journal's reporting that Hamas said it was holding 20 live hostages
Vance said in an interview on NBC News' “Meet the Press” that the hostages “could be released at any time.”
Trump plans to “greet the hostages Monday morning, Middle Eastern time, which should be late, you know, Sunday night or very early Monday morning here in the United States,” he said.
The planned release of the hostages comes days after the Israeli government approved the first phase of a peace deal with Hamas.
Hamas took about 250 people hostage during its attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, sparking a two-year war that has devastated that Palestinian territory.
Vance called the release of the hostages “a monumental thing.”
“It's obviously great for their families,” he said. “But I really think it shows what happens when you step outside the traditional, failed diplomatic routes and actually try something new.”
During a separate appearance on Fox News' “Sunday Morning Futures,” Vance said he does not expect Israel to be able to retrieve the remains of dead Hamas hostages.
“I think in the end we're going to get the most bodies, but we're not going to get them all,” Vance said.
This is news development. Check back for updates.
