Israel's cabinet approved a deal with Palestinian militant group Hamas for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday, a day ahead of the agreement's scheduled start.

Israel's Cabinet has approved the Gaza ceasefire deal that would pause the fighting and release dozens of hostages held by militants, along with Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. The approval came early on Saturday after a marathon session by the full Cabinet.

The deal promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel and would allow hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes.

After 15 months of war, Israel and Hamas have announced a pause in hostilities. In the best case, in which the six-week ceasefire becomes open-ended, it will bring a host of new challenges.

To better understand what the cease-fire will mean for the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the Middle East, Foreign Affairs turned to Marc Lynch, a professor of political science at George Washington University and the director of its Middle East Studies program.