Israel's far-right national security minister resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet to express his disapproval of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Israel's prime minister has been accused of prioritizing his own political survival and the unity of his fractious right-wing Cabinet over bringing the hostages home.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a "last minute crisis" with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited agreement to pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes meanwhile killed dozens of people across the war-ravaged territory.

The problem for Netanyahu is Netanyahu. Consumed by the desire to stay in power, he has been wedged between overwhelming public demand for the hostages to be released, and those who keep him in power—his coalition partners.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is set to begin on Sunday, pausing the devastating 15-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Israelis gathered on Saturday night across the country, on the eve of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, to demand from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he not resume the war until the last of the 98 kidnapped individuals who remain captive is back home.

Thousands took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday for a weekly anti-government protest demanding a ceasefire and a deal to return the remaining hostages still being held in Gaza.

The Israeli prime minister has to convince his right-wing base that the arguments he made against ending the war for 15 months no longer apply.

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A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has taken effect following an almost three-hour delay after Hamas was late to name the three hostage it plans to release. The announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the ceasefire began at 11:15 a.