Israel's full cabinet approved a Gaza ceasefire deal early on Saturday morning in Israel, pushing a critical development forward to suspend fighting in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Israel's security Cabinet, a more limited section of the government, approved the deal earlier on Friday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel would finalize the agreement.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, The Associated Press reported.
"I welcome the Israeli Security Cabinet's decision to approve the hostage deal which will bring our hostages home, as presented by the Prime Minister and the negotiating team," said Israeli President Isaac Herzog. "I expect the government to follow suit in swiftly affirming this decision."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Friday that an agreement had been reached on a deal for the release of hostages.
His office later stated that "an operational security assessment was held on the implementation of the agreement."
The deal came together after months of negotiations that were led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar.
President Joe Biden outlined the framework for the three-phase deal in May 2024.
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Sunday's first phase includes a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas, a surge in humanitarian assistance and the release of 33 hostages.
Phase two would require Hamas to return all remaining living hostages and Israel fully withdraw all troops from Gaza.
The third and final phase would lay out a reconstruction plan for Gaza over the next half-decade and call for the return of any remaining bodies of hostages held by Hamas.
Israel's war with Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when the terrorist organization launched a surprise attack, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis and taking around 250 hostages.
Health officials in Gaza report that more than 46,000 Palestinians, including many women and children, have been killed in retaliatory strikes.
