Qatar’s foreign ministry says the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) on Sunday

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem congratulated Palestinians on Saturday over the Gaza ceasefire deal, saying in a speech that it proved the "persistence of resistance" against Israel.

A team of doctors in Israel is preparing for the return of the hostages from Gaza with the expectation that many are likely to have severe, life-threatening complications from spending more than a year in captivity.

The Israeli government has voted to approve a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas, clearing the way for the war in Gaza to halt for a 42-day period. It is scheduled to start at 8.30 a.m. Sunday,

Israel and Hamas finalize a historic cease-fire and hostage deal set to begin Sunday. The agreement includes phased releases, intense negotiations and ongoing security concerns.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed that a deal has been agreed upon with Hamas to release the hostages held in Gaza. Follow for live news updates.

There are deep schisms in Israeli politics that could threaten the longevity of the deal. The ceasefire as agreed to in Qatar is set to last 42 days. Over that period, 33 hostages are expected to be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners,

Israel's full cabinet now needs to vote on the deal. If it's approved, it would be expected to be implemented on Sunday.

Israel's Cabinet has approved the Gaza ceasefire deal that would pause the fighting and release dozens of hostages held by militants, along with Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The approval came early on Saturday after a marathon session by the full Cabinet.

Hospitals and health officials have been preparing isolated areas where the hostages can begin recuperating, and there are concerns that the returning captives may be malnourished.

The ceasefire agreement, reached with Hamas, provides for the swap of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza.