This is CNN breaking news.

Welcome to the lead. I'm Jake Tapper.

Our major breaking news right now, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal that will pause the fighting in Gaza and lead to the phased release of hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

President Joe Biden just confirmed that in the last hour.

More than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families, the Israeli people,

more than 15 months of suffering by the innocent people of Gaza,

fighting in Gaza will stop, and soon the hostage will return home to their families.

The deal, the formation of which has been incredibly laborious and obviously is still fragile,

could take effect as soon as this Sunday as the government of Israel

releases hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas is expected to release 33 of the 251 hostages

they kidnapped from Israel 467 days ago in their October 7, 2023 attack. 157 of those 251 hostages have already been released.

Israel believes most of the 33 hostages set to be released, hopefully Sunday, are alive.

Sources tell CNN, this group will include Americans Keith Siegel and Sagi DeKohen.

Seven Americans in total are still being held hostage by Hamas, only three of whom presumed to be alive.

In addition to bringing the hostages home, the ceasefire itself could also allow the much needed relief and aid that be brought to the people of Gaza.

Celebrations in both Israel and Gaza are taking place today, as this is all intended to

be just the first phase in a larger potential peace deal.

If phase one goes well, negotiations for the second phase could begin on the 16th day of

this first deal.

Phase two is intended, we're told, to end the war itself. President

Biden says it would bring the remaining hostages who are still alive home. We should note, of course,

this deal is fundamentally what Biden proposed back in May. President, like Donald Trump,

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