Israel and Hamas agreed to pause the devastating war in the Gaza Strip, mediators announced Wednesday, raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies.

The Biden administration is putting pressure on a deal before the inauguration, which will see President-elect Donald Trump return to the White House.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect in less than 24 hours, said Qatar’s foreign ministry on Saturday.

Under the first phase of the ceasefire, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect in less than 24 hours, said Qatar's foreign ministry on Saturday.

The ceasefire agreement includes the release of hostages and a pause on the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

In a post on X, Qatar’s foreign minister Majid Al Ansari, said the cease-fire will start at 8:30 a.m. local time Sunday. He advised people to exercise caution when the agreement

The first phase, spanning a 42-day ceasefire, would see the exchange of 33 Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, U.S. officials said.

The United States and Qatar announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, pausing the devastating 15-month war in Gaza and clearing the way for dozens of Israeli hostages to go home.

Qatar has handed over drafts of a possible ceasefire agreement to both Hamas and Israel, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said on Tuesday, adding that this is the closest point to a deal over the past months.

Qatar, which mediated the agreement, said the cease-fire deal was set to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.