Israel's security cabinet has ratified a ceasefire agreement to exchange dozens of Hamas hostages for Palestinians in Israeli prisons and halt the 15-month war for the first six weeks.
The approval came after a surprise delay that stoked fears that last-minute disagreements between Israel and Hamas could derail the deal. Members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition government also threatened to disrupt what had been done these months in the fight against Hamas to end the conflict.
The deal will now go to the full cabinet for final signing, so that the agreement can be implemented on Sunday with the release of the first hostages and prisoners.
The Israeli Supreme Court is scheduled to hear petitions against elements of the deal, but is widely expected not to intervene.
Under the first phase of the deal, which will last 42 days, Hamas has agreed to free 33 hostages, including children, women, female soldiers, and those over 50. In exchange, Israel will release 50 Palestinian prisoners for each Israeli woman. Freed hamas soldiers and 30 other female hostages.
Israel has said the names of the hostages will only be made public after they have been handed over to the IDF. A list containing names of those to be published over the next six weeks has been circulating on major Israeli news sites since the early hours of Friday morning.