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Netanyahu said he would convene his security Cabinet later Friday, and then the government to approve the long-awaited hostage deal.

Netanyahu's pre-dawn statement appeared to clear the way for Israeli approval of the deal, which would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and see dozens of hostages held by militants in Gaza released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The deal would also allow hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to the remains of their homes in Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory on Thursday.

Netanyahu said he had instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages returning from Gaza, and that their families were informed the deal had been reached.

Israel had delayed a vote Thursday on the ceasefire, blaming a last-minute dispute with Hamas for holding up approval as rising tensions in Netanyahu's government coalition raised concerns about the implementation of the deal just a day after U.S. President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete.

Netanyahu's office had accused Hamas of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions. In a briefing Thursday, David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, said Hamas' new demands dealt with the deployment of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, the narrow strip bordering Egypt that Israeli troops seized in May.

Hamas denied the claims, with Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, saying the militant group "is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators."

The ceasefire agreement has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, which the Israeli prime minister depends on to remain in power. On Thursday, Israel's hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire. There was no immediate comment from Ben-Gvir following Netanyahu's announcement Friday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Israel and Hamas to implement a Gaza ceasefire plan "without any delay" in an exclusive interview Thursday with The Associated Press. Egypt has been a key mediator between the enemies for years and a leading player in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

The deal announced Wednesday would pause the fighting with a view to eventually winding down a 15-month war that has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.

Hamas triggered the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed about 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

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

The military campaign has leveled vast swaths of Gaza, and pushed about 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are struggling with hunger and disease in squalid tent camps on the coast.

A night of heavy Israeli strikes

Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment Thursday. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project strength.

"We were expecting that the (Israeli) occupation would intensify the bombing, like they did every time there were reports of progress in truce talks," said Mohammed Mahdi, who was sheltering in Gaza City.

Gaza's Health Ministry said the toll of 72 from Thursday's strikes only included bodies brought to two hospitals in Gaza City and the the number killed was likely higher.

"Yesterday was a bloody day, and today is bloodier," said Zaher al-Wahedi, a Health Ministry official.

The Israeli military said it had struck about 50 militant targets across the Gaza Strip during the past day, including weapons storage facilities and rocket launch sites.