CAIRO — Israel’s Cabinet has approved the “outline” of a deal to release hostages held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said early Friday, as top Israeli officials debated a tentative deal to pause the devastating two-year war with Hamas.

The approval is a key step in implementing a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners brokered by U.S. 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.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military carried out more strikes in Gaza, including one that reportedly left more than three dozen people trapped beneath rubble. The new strikes hit as the Cabinet met to weigh the terms of the breakthrough proposal that emerged late Wednesday and could free the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The broader ceasefire plan advanced by Trump’s administration included many unanswered questions, such as whether and how Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza. But the sides appeared closer than they have been in months to ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, brought famine to parts of the territory and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in Gaza.

The war, which began with Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

Some 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas-led assault, and 251 were taken hostage. In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half of the deaths were women and children.

Even with the agreement hanging in the balance, Israeli strikes continued, with explosions seen Thursday in northern Gaza. At least 11 dead Palestinians and another 49 who were wounded arrived at hospitals over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

Later on Thursday, a strike on a building in Gaza City killed at least two people and left more than 40 trapped under rubble, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense.

An Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines said Israel was hitting targets that posed a threat to its troops as they reposition. Hamas blasted Israel over the strike, saying Netanyahu was trying to “shuffle the cards and confuse” efforts by mediators to end the war in Gaza.

A senior Hamas official and lead negotiator made a speech Thursday laying out what he says are the core elements of the ceasefire deal: Israel releasing around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, opening the border crossing with Egypt, allowing aid to flow and withdrawing from Gaza.

Khalil al-Hayya said all women and children held in Israeli jails will also be freed. He did not offer details on the extent of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Al-Hayya said the Trump administration and mediators had given assurances that the war is over, and that Hamas and other Palestinian factions will now focus on achieving self-determination and establishing a Palestinian state.

“We declare today that we have reached an agreement to end the war and the aggression against our people,” Al-Hayya said in a televised speech Thursday evening.

Cautious celebrations

In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, reactions to the announcement of a ceasefire were relatively muted and often colored by grief.

“I am happy and unhappy. We have lost a lot of people and lost loved ones, friends and family. We lost our homes,” said Mohammad Al-Farra. “Despite our happiness, we cannot help but think of what is to come. … The areas we are going back to, or intending to return to, are uninhabitable.”

In Tel Aviv, families of the remaining hostages popped champagne and cried tears of joy after Trump announced the deal.

In Jerusalem on Thursday, Sharon Canot celebrated with some others.

“We are so excited this morning. We cried all morning,” she said. “It’s been two years that we are in horror.”

Under the terms, Hamas intends to release all living hostages in a matter of days, while the Israeli military will begin a withdrawal from the majority of Gaza, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of an agreement that has not fully been made public. Some 20 of the 48 hostages still in captivity are believed to be alive.

In a short video posted by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trump was seen speaking by phone to a group of elated hostage families.

“They are all coming back on Monday,” said Trump, who is expected to visit the region in the coming days.

Debate over prisoners

Late on Thursday, Netanyahu convened his full Cabinet, which was expected to vote on the deal.

But Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he and members of his Jewish Power party would vote against the ceasefire plan, and that he “refused to be part of a government that allows for the continuation of Hamas rule in Gaza.”

Still, Ben-Gvir’s refusal was unlikely to endanger the plan, which was expected to pass with a wide margin.

Hamas has called on Trump and the mediators to ensure that Israel fully implements the troop withdrawal, the entry of aid into Gaza and the exchange of prisoners.

Tom Fletcher, the U.N. humanitarian chief, told reporters Thursday that officials have 170,000 metric tons of medicine, aid and other supplies at ready for transport into Gaza when they are given a green light.

The days ahead could be politically tricky for Netanyahu, who has been shadowed by an ongoing corruption trial as he navigated the Gaza war.