A ceasefire in the Gaza war will begin Sunday morning, mediator Qatar said on Saturday after Israel鈥檚 cabinet voted to approve the truce and hostage-prisoner release deal.
Qatar and the United States, which mediated the deal along with Egypt, had announced the agreement on Wednesday.
Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued since then. On Saturday, Gaza鈥檚 Civil Defence rescue agency said at least five members of a family died when a strike hit the tent where they were staying in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
Explosions were heard over Jerusalem Saturday morning after warning sirens blared and the military said a projectile had been launched from Yemen, whose Iran-backed rebels say they support the Palestinians.
鈥楢s coordinated by the parties to the agreement and the mediators, the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will begin at 8:30am on Sunday, January 19, local time in Gaza,鈥� Qatar鈥檚 foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said on X.
In more than 15 months of war between Hamas Palestinian militants and Israel, there has been only one previous truce, for one week, in November 2023. That deal also saw the release of hostages held by the militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
鈥楾he government has approved the hostage return plan,鈥� the office of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Saturday after cabinet held its vote.
Netanyahu鈥檚 office said the deal 鈥榮upports achieving the objectives of the war鈥�.
Hamas, however, in a statement on Saturday said Israel had 鈥榝ailed to achieve its aggressive goals鈥� and 鈥榦nly succeeded in committing war crimes that disgrace the dignity of humanity.鈥�
Israel鈥檚 justice ministry said 737 Palestinian prisoners and detainees will be freed as part of the deal鈥檚 first phase鈥攏one before 4:00pm local time on Sunday.
Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani has said an initial 42-day ceasefire would see 33 hostages released by militants in Gaza.
The truce is to take effect on the eve of Donald Trump鈥檚 inauguration for a second term as United States president.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has completed preparations 鈥榯o assume full responsibility in Gaza鈥� after the war.
Israel has expressed no definitive stance on post-war governance beyond rejecting any role for both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
Outgoing US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Gaza should be under PA control.
鈥業 will go to kiss my land,鈥� said Nasr al-Gharabli, who fled his home in Gaza City for a camp further south. 鈥業f I die on my land, it would be better than being here as a displaced person.鈥�
In Jerusalem on Saturday, residents said the deal had been a long time coming.
Israel鈥檚 cabinet endorsement of the deal came despite eight ministers voting against it, including far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Hamas鈥檚 October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel鈥檚 retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing 46,899 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory鈥檚 health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.
Israeli authorities assume the 33 captives to be released in the first phase are alive, but Hamas has yet to confirm that.
Also in the first phase, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza鈥檚 densely populated areas and allow displaced Palestinians to return 鈥榯o their residences鈥�, the Qatari prime minister said.