Israel's government ratified a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Friday, clearing the way to suspend hostilities in Gaza within 24 hours and free Israeli hostages held in Gaza within 72 hours after that.

The Israeli cabinet agreed to the deal early Friday morning, roughly 24 hours after mediators announced an agreement to free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.

"The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages — the living and the deceased," Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's English-language X account said.

The government has just now approved the framework for the release of all of the hostages – the living a

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