The ceasefire agreement between Israel, Hamas and the release of hostages will go into effect at 1:30 a.m. EST Sunday, officials said.

Long awaited ceasefire agreement and release of hostages between Hamas and Israel will start working in less than 24 hours, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar said on Saturday.

Qatar’s foreign minister, Majid al-Ansari, tweeted on X that the ceasefire will begin at 1:30 am EST on Sunday, 8:30 am local time in Gaza. He advised people to be careful when the agreement comes into force and wait for the instructions of the officials.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the start time, saying they are preparing to use “operational procedures in the field in accordance with established agreements.”

“The IDF was preparing to receive the hostages after their release from Hamas captivity and is working to provide appropriate physical and psychological support, paying attention to every detail,” the statement said on Saturday. “Besides the agreement and our commitment to repatriate all hostages, the IDF will continue to work to ensure the safety of all Israeli citizens, especially those in communities near the Gaza Strip.”

Saturday morning local time, The Israeli Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement Gaza will see the release of dozens of hostages and an end to the 15-month war with Hamas. The agreement brought both sides one step closer to their end the deadliest and most destructive war ever.

“We hope in the name of God that today is the last day of the war,” a man living in southern Gaza told CBS News.

How does a cease and desist agreement work?

According to the translated draft of the agreement viewed by CBS News, and as explained by President Biden, the agreement has three phases, each lasting 42 days.

Hamas will begin releasing hostages on the first day, initially returning three to Israel, according to a draft seen by CBS News. On the seventh day, Hamas will release four hostages. After that, Hamas released three hostages taken from Israel every seven days, starting with the living and moving on to return the bodies of those who had died.

It will release 33 hostages, women and children, during the first phase, as well as hostages over the age of 50, according to a draft seen by CBS News.

Mr. Biden said on Wednesday that Americans would be among the hostages released in this phase, but he did not specify any names or that they would be released soon.

The rest of the hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in a second phase that will be discussed in the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining detainees without a permanent disarmament and full withdrawal from Israel.

Eli David, the brother of Eyvatar David, who has been held by Hamas since October 7, 2023, told CBS News’s Remy Inocencio that he has mixed feelings as the deal approaches. Eyvatar is expected to be released in the second phase.

“If they have a heart, if they can empathize with each other, if they know my brother, just send him a message,” said Eli David as a message to Hamas. “Tell him that we are fighting for him, we love him and we hope that we know he will come home.”

The plan says that during the first phase, about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners will be released, in exchange for 33 Israeli hostages, both alive and dead. Among the prisoners, 1,167 residents of Gaza who were held by Israel but were not involved in the attack on October 7, 2023. All women and children under the age of 19 in Gaza under the control of Israel will be released in this phase.

According to the ceasefire plan, approved by the Cabinet and signed by Israel’s national security adviser, the exchange will begin Sunday at 9 am EST. During each exchange, the prisoners will be released by Israel after the hostages have arrived safely.

The missiles continue while help is on the way

Despite news of a ceasefire, sirens blared in central Israel on Saturday, as the army said it intercepted projectiles launched from Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up their missile attacks in recent weeks. This group says that this attack is part of their campaign aimed at pressuring Israel and the West over the war in Gaza.

There have also been ongoing Israeli strikes in Gaza. The Ministry of Health in Palestine said at least 23 people were killed in the previous day.

And, during the first phase, Israeli forces must return to a protected area about a kilometer (0.6 miles) wide in the middle of Gaza, near its borders with Israel.

That will allow displaced Palestinians to return to their homes, including Gaza City and northern Gaza. With most of Gaza’s population crammed into large, filthy tents, Palestinians yearn to return to their homes, even though many have been destroyed or seriously injured by the Israeli campaign.

The most degraded area should also see an increase the help of people. Aid trucks stopped Friday on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.

On Saturday, two Egyptian government ministers arrived in the north of the Sinai Peninsula to look at the arrangements for the delivery of aid and the evacuation of injured patients, the Ministry of Health said.

Hamas started the war on October 7, 2023an Israeli cross-border attack that killed about 1,200 people and left about 250 hostages. About 100 hostages remain in Gaza.

Israel responded with an offensive that killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who did not distinguish between civilians and militants but said women and children accounted for more than half of the dead.