JERUSALEM >> Israel’s full Cabinet was meeting Friday evening on a Gaza ceasefire deal after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas and release dozens of hostages.

The security Cabinet recommended the deal’s approval earlier in the day, and the full Cabinet was expected to approve the ceasefire, which could start as soon as Sunday. The deal has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, whose objections could destabilize his government.

The Cabinet was meeting well past the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath, a rare occurrence and a reflection of the moment’s importance. In line with Jewish law, the Israeli government usually halts all business for the Sabbath except in emergency cases of life or death.

Israel and Hamas have been under growing pressure from both U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration and President-elect Donald Trump to reach a deal before Trump takes office Monday.

Mediators Qatar and the U.S. had announced the ceasefire Wednesday, but the deal hung in limbo for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications he blamed on Hamas.

The fighters maintained they were committed to the deal, while residents of Gaza and families of the hostages anxiously waited to see whether it would materialize.

“Now we have reached the moment of no return, and we are all crossing our fingers,” activist Ester Taranto said at a gathering of hostages’ families and supporters in Tel Aviv.

Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 remain.

Israel responded with a devastating offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and fighters but say women and children make up more than half of those killed.