Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, a 1967 graduate of Cheltenham High School, announced on Friday, January 17 that a deal to return hostages held in the Gaza Strip had been reached, the Associated Press reported.

After delays and hours of deliberations, the Israeli government approved the deal just after midnight on Saturday.

According to their coverage, his office said there were “last minute snags” in finalizing a 15-month ceasefire agreement. Among those snags was Netanyahu’s demand of a list of the first hostages to be freed under the deal with Hamas. 

An excerpt:

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.

Today, the AP reported that three hostages released from Gaza—Romi Gonen, 24, kidnapped from the Nova music festival, and Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza—are now in Israel.

Israel is expected to release around 90 Palestinian prisoners later today, with a gradual release of 33 captives over the next six weeks to follow. In exchange, Israel will release almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and Palestinians from Gaza who have been detained.

You can watch Netanyahu’s address from Saturday below:

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