In exchange for 150 Palestinians detained in Israel, the Israeli government and Hamas agreed to a four-day ceasefire on Wednesday. This would also permit the entry of humanitarian supplies into the besieged enclave and the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza. For days, representatives of the US, Israel, Hamas, and Qatar, which has been mediating the talks, have claimed that a settlement was almost certain. Israeli counts indicate that Hamas killed 1,200 people on October 7 when its members stormed into Israel, taking more than 200 hostages. According to a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 50 women and children will be freed over the course of four days, during which time there would be no fighting.