Fifty-Day Updates on the Israel-Hamas war: A 4-day ceasefire has been approved, leading to significant developments. In the initial phase of a swap, Hamas has released 24 hostages, while Israel has freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Following the abduction of almost 240 individuals during Hamas' attack on October 7th, which sparked the war, Israel felt relief as 13 Israeli women and children, the youngest being a 2-year-old, emerged safely from Gaza. The group also included 10 individuals from Thailand and one from the Philippines.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy organization, Israel currently holds 7,200 Palestinians, with around 2,000 being arrested since the war began. Since the ceasefire started, four trucks of fuel, four trucks of cooking gas, and 200 trucks of relief supplies have entered Gaza from Egypt.

Throughout the war, Israel has restricted imports into Gaza, except for limited supplies from Egypt. The US development agency is urging an urgent and imperative increase in humanitarian assistance for Gaza in the long term. Iranian-backed militias, responsible for numerous rocket and drone attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria, abstained from further attacks on the first day of the four-day truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Despite Israeli army warnings, two Palestinians were fatally shot and eleven others were wounded as they approached the main combat zone in northern Gaza. US President Joe Biden expressed hope in extending the temporary truce and stressed the need to renew efforts for a two-state solution to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Israeli military plans to continue active fighting once the ceasefire concludes, having already made progress in targeting Hamas' military assets and destroying tunnels. The Israeli government has summoned the ambassadors of Spain and Belgium after criticism from their respective leaders regarding the bombing of civilians in Gaza and calls for recognition of a Palestinian state.