Israel approved a ceasefire deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas on Saturday that involves releasing hostages in the Gaza Strip, and Israeli forces carried out new attacks in the enclave before the agreement's scheduled start on Sunday.

Israel and Hamas reached a cease-fire agreement to bring some of the remaining hostages home and halt the bloodshed after 15 months of conflict.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are eager to leave miserable tent camps and return to their homes if a long-awaited ceasefire agreement halts the Israel-Hamas war.

Under the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel has agreed to release Palestinians held in Israeli jails in return for freeing hostages taken by the militant group Hamas in their Oct. 7, 2023 attack.

Israel’s cabinet has approved a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages that will pause the 15-month war with Hamas for six weeks. The deal brings Israel and Hamas a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.

The militants maintained they were “committed” to the deal, while residents of Gaza and families of the hostages anxiously waited to see if it would materialize. The deal now goes to the full Cabinet of ministers for final sign-off.