Israel and Hamas agreed early Wednesday to a hostage release deal that will involve a four-day pause in fighting — the first cessation since Israel launched an air and ground assault on the Gaza Strip after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. At least 50 women and children among the estimated 240 people held hostage in Gaza will be released over that period, the Israeli government said in a statement. Hamas said on Telegram that the deal includes the release of 150 Palestinian women and teenagers from Israeli prisons, as well as “intensifying the entry of trucks for humanitarian, relief, medical and fuel aid into all areas of the Gaza Strip.” Qatar, which has been mediating the talks, confirmed the deal for a “humanitarian pause,” adding that the starting time of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours.