Israel's Cabinet has approved the "outline" of a deal to release hostages held by Hamas, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday.

The move marks a key step in implementing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that was brokered by US President Donald Trump.

The brief statement focused on the hostage release and made no mention of the other parts of Trump's plan for ending the war.

Israel is expected to release nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining 48 hostages taken in Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack.

Around 20 of the hostages are believed to be alive.

This is a breaking story. More to come.

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