Officials announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause more than 15 months of war and release hostages held in Gaza.

NBC News' Raf Sanchez reports on the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after a crisis over the weekend threatened to unravel the peace deal with a delay from Israel in allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in the north of Gaza.

Hamas provided Israel with long-awaited information about the status of the hostages listed for release during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in the war in the Gaza Strip. The move followed intense negotiations over the weekend to resolve a dispute that had threatened to derail the deal.

Under Israel's multi-phased deal with Hamas, some hostages held in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have started to be released. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas are expected to continue amid the first phase of the deal,

Israel has said the next release of hostages will take place on Thursday, followed by another on Saturday. The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of dozens of hostages captured in the militants’ Oct.