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

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, there will be a slow withdrawal of the Israeli military from urban centers in Gaza and a surge of humanitarian aid.

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 deal is expected to begin Sunday, with the exchange of several hostages held in Gaza for a number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

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

CAIRO (Reuters) - 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. The remarks were the first in public by the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group since Israel and Hamas reached the accord on Wednesday.

The Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement is expected to take effect as soon as Sunday. But the most significant diplomatic breakthrough in over a year of brutal war between Israel and Hamas is rife with risks,

When I talked with Israeli national-security officials last year, the most realistic of them spoke of Gaza’s future as resembling the West Bank today.

Early Saturday morning, Israel’s Cabinet approved the deal for a cease-fire in Gaza that would release dozens of hostages and pause the 15-month war with Hamas, bringing the sides a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.

Israel’s military has set up sites to receive hostages while aid groups are preparing to use the cease-fire to increase deliveries into Gaza.

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.