Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes "to announce the return of all our hostages in the coming days", after a weekend of dramatic diplomacy saw US President Donald Trump push a deal on Israel and Hamas.
Mr Netanyahu added that his country is "on the brink of a very big achievement" but that a deal is "still not final".
Mr Netanyahu said co-operation with Mr Trump sparked a diplomatic flourish that "flipped the situation at once".
Polling shows most Israelis want their government to favour the release of hostages over more fighting in Gaza, but Mr Netanyahu has consistently chosen to continue the military campaign, backed up by many members of his extreme coalition who view the war as a chance to resettle the strip and expel its Palestinian population.
Despite being popular with much of the public and Israel's allies abroad, the march towards a deal leaves Mr Netanyahu exposed to rage in the coalition, which could lead to the downfall of his government.
Reactions to the weekend's events from far-right Israeli ministers began coming in around 8pm local time, following the end of the Sabbath when many coalition members were offline.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said his party would resign from the coalition if Hamas “remains in existence” after Israel’s hostages are released.
"We will not be part of a national defeat that will be a disgrace for the ages and that will turn into a ticking time bomb for the next massacre," he added.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called Mr Netanyahu’s actions a “grave mistake” and “recipe for time-wasting on Hamas’s part”.
Mr Netanyahu's announcement comes as US Special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is due to arrive in Egypt for talks on how to implement President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, sources told The National.
They said Turkish officials were also due in the Egyptian capital on Saturday and Sunday to participate in the talks with key mediators.
Egypt said on Saturday it will host indirect talks on Monday between Israel and Hamas to work out details and “field conditions” of the release of hostages held by the militant group and Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons, as provided by President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
A foreign ministry statement that announced the meeting gave no further details.
Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, of whom 20 are alive. Sources have said that Hamas asked for time to locate some of the living hostages because it lost contact with the operatives guarding them as a result of Israel’s intense military operations in Gaza.
News of Mr Witkoff's visit to Egypt came hours after Hamas agreed to free the 48 hostages it is holding in Gaza and accepted key parts of Mr Trump's 20-point plan.
Top of the agenda on Mr Witkoff's talks in Cairo will be the parts of the plan that Hamas told mediators they needed clarification, according to the sources.
These include the logistics and mechanics of the release of the hostages, the disarmament of the militant group and the mandate of the international force proposed by the American president to be sent to Gaza to maintain security there once a ceasefire takes hold, said the sources.
Also on the agenda is Hamas's request for a timeline for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, which the US plan provides for, they said.
Mr Witkoff was expected to travel on from Egypt to Israel and possibly Saudi Arabia, they added.
President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will accompany Mr Witkoff, a White House official told AFP.
"I appreciate that Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the hostage release and peace deal a chance to be completed," Mr Trump posted on Saturday.
"Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again. Let’s get this done, FAST. Everyone will be treated fairly."
But on Saturday, at least six Palestinians, including two children, were killed in Israeli strikes hours after Mr Trump urged Israel to halt the bombardment of Gaza.
Speaking about the upcoming negotiations in Egypt, Mr Netanyahu told Israeli outlet Channel 12 that “Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are arriving soon to finish this. They aren’t coming to play games … First bring the hostages, then the rest will come. I believe there is a good chance we will reach this.”
Thousands of demonstrators took to Israel's streets demanding the release of Israel's hostages under Mr Trump's plan, as politicians from Israel’s opposition welcomed the day’s developments and called for continued pressure on the prime minister to stick to negotiations.
The calls intensified as the end of the Sabbath approached, anticipating the moment that ultra-nationalist and religious members of the coalition, who are most opposed to a deal, would switch on their phones after 24 hours offline and first learn of the news.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid appeared to address Mr Netanyahu in a post on X, demanding that he ignore the “tonne of threats” that coalition members were likely to make. “An absolute majority in the Israeli Knesset and an absolute majority of the people of Israel support Trump's deal,” he said.
Senior politician Benny Gantz said Israel “can’t miss another opportunity,” adding his colleagues “will do everything in our power so that it will happen and ensure that petty politics do not derail President Trump’s framework”.
Leftwing Zionist politician Yair Golan called on Israelis to take to the streets. “Do not listen to Netanyahu's words tonight, no words can atone for the fact that this agreement should have been finalized long ago,” he posted on X.
Go out to the streets now and demand with one voice, loud and clear: All the hostages - now. The end of the war - now. The collapse of Hamas's rule - now.”
Settlements Minister of, of Mr Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, posted that “it is most important to ensure that Hamas adheres to the schedule set by the plan and releases all our hostages within 72 hours without dragging out the negotiations”.
“Any delay must lead to an immediate resumption of the attack on Gaza,” she continued, adding that her party has “many more questions, objections and demands”.
