Trump says Hamas may release 20 hostages ‘a little bit early’ as he heads to Middle East

Israeli hostages to be exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports on the Trump-brokered peace deal between Israel and Hamas and the planned hostage release on 'The Big Weekend Show.'

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Hamas may release the 20 hostages it is holding "a little bit early."

Trump spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the Middle East, where he was asked about the latest on the hostages and when they might be released.

"So, they have the hostages — I understand all 20 — and we may get them out a little bit early," Trump said. "Getting them was amazing, actually, because we were involved, and they were in places you don’t want to know about."

The president’s comments come as Hamas faces a deadline to return all remaining hostages to Israel, following a peace deal that ended the two-year-long Israel-Hamas war.

VANCE SAYS SOME DECEASED HOSTAGES MAY NEVER BE RECOVERED DESPITE TRUMP PEACE DEAL

President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Oct. 12, 2025, that the 20 hostages held by Hamas could be released a little early. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The peace agreement, brokered by President Trump, sparked celebrations across a region plagued by violence since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Earlier on Sunday, Vice President JD Vance warned that some of the hostages who were killed while in captivity by Hamas may never be returned to their families.

TRUMP’S WEEK IN REVIEW: PRESIDENT SECURES HISTORIC PEACE DEAL TO BRING HOSTAGES HOME AS SHUTDOWN CONTINUES

Hamas has agreed to release hostages as part of President Donald Trump's plan for peace between Israel and Hamas. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"The reality is that some of the hostages may never get back, but I do think, with some effort, we'll be able to give them to their families so they at least have some closure," Vance said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."

TRUMP PEACE DEAL TRIGGERS 72-HOUR COUNTDOWN FOR HAMAS TO RELEASE 48 HOSTAGES FROM GAZA

Israelis marched from Sderot toward the northern border of Gaza, calling for the re-establishment of settlements in the territory, on July 30, 2025, in Israel. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

He continued, noting that while rescuing living hostages remains the Trump administration’s top priority, returning the remains of those killed is also an important effort to give families closure.

"We do want to give these people the ability to have a proper burial with their loved ones who were murdered by brutal terrorists, and that matters to us," Vance said. "It matters to the families, and it will remain a focus, but it's going to take some time."

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The vice president stopped short of certainly, though, saying he believes most of the victims’ remains – but not all – will eventually be recovered.

Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.