Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire agreement

Israel's cabinet approved a deal early Saturday for a ceasefire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages held there and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.

The government ratified the agreement in the early hours Saturday after meeting for more than six hours, according to a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The approval was announced after 1 a.m. local time in Jerusalem.

Twenty-four cabinet members were in favour and eight were against, according to Haaretz and other Israeli media.

Mediators Qatar and the U.S. announced the ceasefire Wednesday, but the deal was in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications that he blamed on the Hamas militant group.

Key questions remain about the ceasefire — which is the second achieved during the 15-month war — including the names of the 33 hostages who are to be released during the first, six-week phase of the ceasefire and who among them is still alive.

The cabinet met well past the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, in a reflection of the moment's importance. In line with Jewish law, the Israeli government usually halts all business for the Sabbath except in emergency cases of life or death.

Netanyahu instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza. The 33 being released first are all women and children, as well as men over 50 and sick or wounded people. Hamas has agreed to free three female hostages on Day 1 of the deal, four on Day 7 and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks.

Palestinian detainees are to be released, as well. Israel's justice ministry published a list of 95 to be freed in the deal's first phase and said the release will not begin before 4 p.m. local time Sunday. All people on the list are younger or female.

Israel's Prison Services said it will transport the prisoners instead of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which handled transportation during the first ceasefire, to avoid "public expressions of joy." The prisoners have been accused of crimes like incitement, vandalism, supporting terror, terror activities, attempted murder or throwing stones or Molotov cocktails.

The largely devastated Gaza should see a surge in humanitarian aid. Trucks carrying aid lined up Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.

An Egyptian official said an Israeli delegation from the military and Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency arrived Friday in Cairo to discuss the reopening of the crossing. An Israeli official confirmed a delegation was going to Cairo. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.

Israeli forces will also pull back from many areas in Gaza during the first phase of the ceasefire and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will be able to return to what's left of their homes.

"Once Sunday comes around, we would be happier, God willing," said one of Gaza's many displaced people, Ekhlas al-Kafarna, during the wait for word on the Israeli cabinet decision.

Israel's military said that as its forces gradually withdraw from specific locations and routes in Gaza, residents will not be allowed to return to areas where troops are present or near the Israel-Gaza border and any threat to Israeli forces "will be met with a forceful response."