The long-awaited ceasefire and hostage release deal between the Israeli government and Hamas will take effect on Sunday, potentially signaling a new chapter in a bloody 15-month conflict that has enflamed the Middle East.

Israel’s cabinet has approved a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of dozens of hostages that will pause the 15-month war with Hamas for six weeks. The deal brings Israel and Hamas a step closer to ending their deadliest and most destructive fighting ever.

The militants maintained they were “committed” to the deal, while residents of Gaza and families of the hostages anxiously waited to see if it would materialize. The deal now goes to the full Cabinet of ministers for final sign-off.

The Israel-Hamas war has devastated the Gaza Strip. Satellite photos offer some sense of the destruction in the territory.

New satellite photos have revealed the widespread destruction caused by Israeli strikes in Gaza, amid renewed hope that a ceasefire deal will end the deadly 15 month war. The images show Gaza City in June 2023 and January 2023.

CAIRO: Palestinian militant group Hamas has been significantly battered by 15 months of war in Gaza but has not suffered the eradication that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intended, experts say.