Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country retained the 'right to return to fighting if needed' in Gaza.

Long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is due to begin at 630am GMT on Sunday – but hostages’ families and Palestinians all fear the deal could fall at the final hurdle

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that Israel's negotiating team had finalized a deal on the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Hamas of backing out of a cease-fire deal to release hostages and bring a pause to more than a year of fighting.

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.

A long-awaited ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was delayed Sunday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the last minute that it would not take effect until the Palestinian militant group provided a list of the hostages to be released.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel says the Gaza ceasefire will begin at 11:15 a.m. local time. The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came after Hamas named the three female hostages it plans to release on Sunday.

The cease-fire-for-hostage deal is scheduled to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time Sunday, Qatari officials announced earlier Saturday.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to begin on Sunday, pausing the devastating 15-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli cabinet will meet to give approval to a deal with Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of “reneging” on parts of the deal, under which Israel would withdraw from some areas of Gaza and obtain the return of hostages.