What we're covering • The Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed that a deal has been agreed upon with Hamas to release the hostages held in Gaza. The agreement, which US officials expect to take effect Sunday, would see a pause in fighting in Gaza and lead to the phased release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners. • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israel’s security cabinet to meet on Friday, after which the government will convene to approve the deal. Here’s what we know about it. • Israeli bombardments killed dozens of people in Gaza since the announcement of the deal, marking the highest daily death toll in over a week. • International aid agencies welcomed the deal and vowed to scale up their work in Gaza. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees called for “rapid, unhindered and uninterrupted humanitarian access” to the strip to relieve the suffering caused by war.