Israel's security Cabinet approved a cease-fire agreement with Hamas on Friday, which includes an exchange of hostages for Palestinians held in jails, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

The decision had been expected despite the resistance of some far-right ministers.

The deal now goes to Netanyahu's coalition government for the final sign-off, which would pave the way for the agreement to go into effect on Sunday.

Netanyahu said the agreement would help reach the government's war goals, the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Specifically, the cease-fire is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 10:15 GMT.

Netanyahu's office announced that it could go ahead as planned, subject to the approval of the government.

The first hostages are expected to be released on Sunday. According to the Israeli media, this could happen at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT).

The three-phase deal calls for an initial six-week pause in Israeli attacks that have devastated the Gaza Strip over the past 15 months and killed more than 46,000 people in the Palestinian territory.

During this first phase, Hamas is to release 33 hostages held in Gaza and Israel is to release Palestinians held in its jails.

The cease-fire agreement followed intensified efforts from mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States, after months of fruitless negotiations to end the deadliest war in Gaza's history.

If finalized, it would pause hostilities one day before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Envoys from both the Trump team and the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden were present at the latest negotiations, with a senior Biden official saying the unlikely pairing had been a decisive factor in reaching the deal.