Israel-Gaza war: Israeli cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire accord, due to take effect Sunday

Israel's cabinet approved a deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Saturday, one day before the agreement's scheduled start.

As reported by Reuters, after meeting for more than six hours, the government ratified the agreement, which could lead to the end of the 15-month-old war in the Gaza Strip, controlled by Hamas.

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“The Government has approved the framework for the return of the hostages. The framework for the hostages' release will come into effect on Sunday,” Netanyahu's office said in a brief statement.

In Gaza itself, Israeli warplanes have kept up heavy attacks since the ceasefire deal was agreed. Medics in Gaza said an Israeli airstrike early on Saturday killed five people in a tent in the Mawasi area west of Khan Younis in the enclave's south.

This brought to 119 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli bombardment since the accord was announced on Wednesday.

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After the Israeli cabinet approval, lead U.S. negotiator Brett McGurk said the plan was moving forward on track. The White House expects the ceasefire to start on Sunday morning, with three female hostages to be released to Israel on Sunday afternoon through the Red Cross.

"We have locked down every single detail in this agreement. We are quite confident... it is ready to be implemented on Sunday," McGurk said on CNN from the White House, as reported by Reuters.

Under the deal, the three-stage ceasefire starts with an initial six-week phase when hostages held by Hamas will be exchanged for prisoners detained by Israel.

In the first phase of the agreement, 33 of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages, including women, children, and men over 50, were set to be released. Israel also committed to releasing all Palestinian women and children under 19 held in Israeli jails by the end of this phase.

The Israeli Justice Ministry announced the names of 95 Palestinian prisoners to be released on Sunday. Following the release, U.S. envoy Brett McGurk stated that the accord outlined the release of four more female hostages after seven days, with three additional hostages to be freed every seven days thereafter.

Humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Gaza civilians have faced a humanitarian crisis due to hunger, cold and sickness. The ceasefire agreement calls for a surge in assistance, and international organisations have aid trucks lined up on Gaza's borders to bring in food, fuel, medicine and other vital supplies.

Palestinian relief agency UNRWA said on Friday that it has 4,000 truckloads of aid, half of which are food, ready to enter the coastal strip.

Palestinians waiting for food in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday said they hoped a truce would end hours of queuing to fill one plate.

(With inputs from Reuters)