A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas and the release of hostages will go into effect at 1:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday, officials said.

Which is long awaited Ceasefire and release of hostagesThe Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the agreement between Hamas and Israel will enter into force in less than 24 hours.

Qatari Foreign Minister Majid Al Ansari posted on Channel X that the ceasefire would begin at 1:30 a.m. EST on Sunday. He advised people to be cautious when the agreement enters into force and to wait for the directions of officials.

The Israeli army confirmed the start date, saying it was preparing to implement “operational procedures in the field in accordance with the established agreements.”

A statement issued on Saturday said, “The Israeli army is preparing to receive the hostages after their release from Hamas captivity and is working to provide appropriate physical and psychological support, with careful attention to every detail.” He added: “In addition to the agreement and our commitment to repatriate all hostages, the IDF will continue to work to ensure the security of all Israeli citizens, especially those living in communities close to the Gaza Strip.”

Early Saturday morning local time, The Israeli Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement In Gaza, this would see the release of dozens of hostages and an end to the 15-month-old war with Hamas. The agreement brings the two sides a step closer to ending their relationship The bloodiest and most destructive fight ever.

How a ceasefire and hostage agreement works

According to a translated draft of the agreement seen by CBS News, and as described by President Biden, the deal consists of three phases, each lasting 42 days.

Hamas will begin releasing the hostages on the first day, initially returning three of them to Israel, according to the draft seen by CBS News. On the seventh day, Hamas will release four hostages. After that, Hamas will release three hostages from Israel every seven days, starting with the living and then moving on to returning the bodies of the dead.

The draft seen by CBS News said it would release 33 women and children hostages during the first phase, in addition to hostages over the age of 50.

Biden said on Wednesday that Americans would be among the hostages released at this stage, but he did not specify any names or when they would be released.

The remaining hostages, including the male soldiers, are scheduled to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first phase. Hamas said it would not release the remaining prisoners without a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal.

The plan says that during the first phase, about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners will be released, in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages, alive and dead. Among the prisoners are 1,167 Gazans who were detained by Israel but did not participate in the October 7, 2023 attack. All women and children under the age of 19 from Gaza held by Israel will be released during this phase.

According to the ceasefire plan, approved by the Cabinet and signed by the Israeli National Security Advisor, the exchange will begin on Sunday at 9 a.m. EST. During each exchange, Israel will release the prisoners after the hostages arrive safely.

The missile strikes continue while aid is on the way

Despite news of a ceasefire, sirens sounded in central Israel on Saturday, and the army said it intercepted projectiles launched from Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthis have intensified their missile attacks in recent weeks. The movement says the attacks are part of its campaign to pressure Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.

Israeli raids on Gaza also continued. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said at least 23 people were killed the previous day.

Also during the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw to a buffer zone about one kilometer (0.6 mile) wide inside Gaza, along its border with Israel.

This will allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, including in Gaza City and North Gaza. With most of Gaza’s population forced to live in huge, dirty camps, Palestinians are desperate to return to their homes, even though many of them have been destroyed or severely damaged by the Israeli campaign.

The largely devastated area should also see their numbers rise Humanitarian aid. Trucks loaded with aid lined up on Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza.

The Ministry of Health said that two Egyptian government ministers arrived on Saturday in the northern Sinai Peninsula to supervise preparations for delivering aid and receiving the evacuation of patients.

Hamas ignited the war with its decision on October 7, 2023A cross-border attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 others. There are still approximately 100 hostages in Gaza.

Israel responded with a devastating attack that killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants, but say women and children make up more than half of the dead.