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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing.

    The White House says that it supports Israel’s decision to delay releasing 600 Palestinian prisoners, citing the “barbaric treatment” of Israeli hostages by Hamas. At the same time, we’re hearing for the first time from US President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff that he will come to the region this week to try and negotiate an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, which is supposed to conclude at the end of the week with the return of four additional bodies of hostages. Berman updates us on the current status of the talks.

    Yesterday, Israeli tanks deployed to the West Bank for the first time in over 20 years and Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had instructed the IDF to stay for at least the next year in West Bank refugee camps that have been cleared of terror operatives and civilians, and not allow some 40,000 displaced Palestinians to return. Does the IDF have the manpower for such an operation?

    Tens of thousands of black-clad mourners vowed support for the Hezbollah terror group Sunday at the Beirut funeral of slain leader Hassan Nasrallah, after the group was dealt major blows in its last round of hostilities with Israel. As the funeral began at the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Lebanon’s biggest sports arena, Israeli warplanes flew at a low altitude over Beirut. What was Israel's message with this fly over?

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “warm conversation” last night with Friedrich Merz, the presumptive German chancellor after his CDU/CSU came first in the German elections yesterday. But the standout saga from these elections is the surge in support for far-right anti-immigration party AfD, which took a historic second place among the electorate. Berman weighs in.

    On the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has faced fierce criticism from the new US administration, leading Zelensky to offer to quit his post if it would mean that Ukraine could join NATO. Publicity stunt or authentic plea?

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ben Wallick.

    For further reading:

    In first, Witkoff says US looking to extend hostage deal’s current phase

    In visit to Tulkarem, Netanyahu calls to expand West Bank counterterror operation

    Holding up photo of Bibas family, PM says Israel must ‘remember what we’re fighting for’

    IDF deploys tanks in West Bank for first time since 2002, sending 3 to Jenin as it expands op

    Tens of thousands shout ‘Death to Israel’ at Nasrallah funeral, as Israeli jets fly overhead

    Germany’s rising far-right AfD is split over Israel. Jews call party ‘a danger’ either way

    Responding to Trump, Zelensky says he’d resign if it meant Ukraine could join NATO

    IMAGE: An Israeli tank drives towards the Jenin camp in the West Bank, February 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

     

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing.

    Six Israelis held hostage by Hamas were released yesterday -- four whom were taken on October 7, 2023, and two who were in the Strip for about a decade. Horovitz relates what we're beginning to learn about the horrific conditions of their captivities.

    Hamas published a video Saturday showing Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Guy Gilboa Dalal being forced to watch as other captives were freed and begging to be saved as well. Also with this in mind, Israel said early Sunday that it was delaying the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners who had been slated to go free Saturday until Jerusalem receives assurances regarding the end of “humiliating ceremonies” staged by Hamas when hostages are handed over. Hamas claims this is a pretext. Is it?

    Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer reportedly met US Mideast special envoy Steve Witkoff in Washington on Thursday to kick off talks on phase two of the hostage release and ceasefire deal with Hamas, as mixed messaging emerges on the likelihood of a next stage. Horovitz delves into the uncertainty of the negotiations, even as Israel has apparent US backing for whatever decision it makes about a second phase or a return to war.

    Tens of thousands gathered in Beirut for the funeral of Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital. We discuss who may be in attendance and what this funeral aims to accomplish.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Hostages were chained, starved, kept in pitch black; some return almost unresponsive

    Hamas propaganda clip shows hostages forced to watch as others are freed

    Israel halts release of Palestinian prisoners over ‘humiliating’ hostage handovers

    Dermer in US to meet Witkoff on ‘difficult’ phase two of hostage-ceasefire deal

    Trump: I really am fine with any decision Israel makes — continue truce or resume war

    Iran’s parliament speaker, foreign minister to attend funeral of Hezbollah’s Nasrallah

    IMAGE: Freed hostage Hisham al-Sayed arrives at Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, after being released by Hamas following 10 years in Gaza captivity, February 22, 2025. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing.

    Kibbutz Nir Oz said early Saturday morning that resident Shiri Bibas was murdered while held captive in Gaza, after Hamas handed over her body overnight and it was brought to Israel for identification. Fabian updates us on what we know of her and her children's fate.

    Hostages Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed were released from captivity and returned to Israel today, as part of the ongoing ceasefire-hostage deal between Israel and Hamas.

    The terror group paraded five of the six freed hostages on stages in propaganda-filled handover ceremonies in two locations in Gaza, handing them over to the Red Cross, while al-Sayed was released separately to the Red Cross later in the day, without a ceremony. We hear a little about each man's current status and how he arrived in Gaza.

    Israel Police and the Shin Bet security agency reportedly detained two Jewish Israelis and a Palestinian in connection with explosions on three buses in central Israel Thursday night, as the IDF bolstered operations in the West Bank following what is thought to have been a narrowly averted large-scale terror attack. There is a gag order on this case, so Fabian updates us on what we are allowed to report.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Adina Karpuj.

    For further reading:

    Shiri Bibas’s body returned to Israel; officials assess she was ‘brutally’ murdered with sons in Gaza

    IDF: Captors murdered children Ariel and Kfir Bibas ‘in cold blood’ with ‘their bare hands’

    These are the six living hostages set to be released Saturday

    These are the 4 hostages set to be released on Thursday; all are believed to be dead

    2 Jewish Israelis, Palestinian said arrested in connection with botched bus bombings

    IMAGE: Israelis in Hostages Square, Tel Aviv, watch a big screen showing the releases of hostages Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham from Hamas captivity in Gaza, February 22, 2025. (Roya Lavi / Hostages Families Forum)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing updates, followed by the weekly Friday Focus, The Times of Israel's newest podcast series. Each Friday, catch Berman and Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

    Slain hostages Oded Lifshitz, and brothers Ariel and Kfir Bibas, were identified after their remains were returned to Israel by Hamas on Thursday but the military said another body sent by the terror group was not the young boys’ mother Shiri Silberman Bibas. We learn more about the fates of the young boys and what have been official Israel’s reactions so far.

    Three empty buses exploded in quick succession in parking lots in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Bat Yam and Holon on Thursday night in what police said was a suspected terror attack. There were no injuries reported in the incidents. Police said they neutralized two other unexploded devices on buses nearby. Berman fills us in with what we know about who may be the perpetrators.

    On the Friday Focus, ahead of the three-year mark of the ongoing Ukraine war, Berman assesses how the potential winding down of the conflict is stirring up all sorts of other battles on the international stage.

    We discuss the origins of the current Russo-Ukraine war and the competing narratives surrounding it, even as Israel attempts to trod on semi-neutral ground.

    Finally, we hear how US President Donald Trump views the conflict that is occurring far from his borders, and his country's "obligation" to fund it.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Remains ID’d of Oded Lifshitz, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, but other body isn’t the boys’ mom Shiri

    3 buses explode in Bat Yam, Holon in suspected strategically planned terror attack

    IMAGE: This combination of pictures created on February 20, 2025 shows posters bearing the portraits of Israeli hostages Shiri Bibas (C) and her two children Ariel (L) and Kfir (R), held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, set up on a square outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, on January 21, 2025 (AFP)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

    Coffins holding what are believed to be the bodies of four slain hostages were driven across the border from the Gaza Strip back into Israel this morning, 503 days after they were abducted alive by Hamas-led terrorists. The four were named by Israel and by their terrorist captors as Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz, all kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023.

    In today's episode, we hear about two ceremonies conducted this morning: one, a cynically staged Hamas propaganda fest in Gaza; the other held by the IDF in the Gaza Strip led by IDF Chief Rabbi Brig. Gen. Eyal Karim.

    We learn what the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz represent to Israeli society and how their families are reacting to the apparent return of their bodies.

    We also preview Saturday's planned release of six living male hostages, including how they were likely chosen, and discuss a Hamas offer to release all remaining hostages in one go in a potential phase two of the ongoing ceasefire-hostage release deal.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    The worst news of all

    Bodies believed to be of 4 slain hostages brought to Israel, 503 days after they were taken alive

    Bibas and Lifshitz hostage families cling to hope, say they’ll await final identification of bodies

    These are the six living hostages set to be released Saturday

    IMAGE: Palestinian terrorists carry one of the coffins said to carry the bodies of four slain Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Khan Younis in the Gaza on February 20, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

    In a surprise move, six living hostages will be released on Saturday, including Israelis Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held by Hamas since entering the Strip on their own in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The other four — Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Omer Wenkert, and Eliya Cohen — were kidnapped during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel. Why are six being released versus the agreed-upon three, and why is Hamas offering a much more generous phase 2 deal?

    Former White House Mideast czar Brett McGurk last week penned his first op-ed since leaving government, taking the opportunity to defend the Biden administration’s handling of the hostage negotiations and insisting that Hamas was consistently the obstacle to an agreement. We hear Magid's thoughts on McGurk's statements, as well as the timing of them.

    Israel’s envoy to the United States has accused Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of violating the US-brokered peace deal between Jerusalem and Cairo, profiting from the desperation of Palestinians seeking to flee the Gaza Strip and duplicitously operating to benefit Hamas. This comes as Egypt is working with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to formulate a day-after plan for Gaza. Magid weighs in. 

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    These are the six living hostages set to be released Saturday

    6 hostages to be freed Sat.; Hamas says bodies of Bibas mom, kids set for Thurs. return

    News of Bibas family’s tragic fate met with confusion, mourning and rage

    Biden’s Mideast czar says Trump ‘right to stand firmly by Israel’ on hostage deal

    Arab plan for Gaza could involve up to $20 billion regional contribution

    Israel’s US envoy: Egypt’s Sissi is breaking peace deal, ‘playing both sides’ with Hamas

    IMAGE: Palestinian Hamas terrorist fighters in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on February 15, 2025. (Eyad BABA / AFP)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

    Today as the extended deadline for IDF withdrawal from Lebanon under the US-brokered ceasefire expires, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “Starting today, the IDF will remain in a buffer zone in Lebanon in five strategic outposts and will continue to enforce forcefully and without compromise against any violation by Hezbollah.” Fabian explains why these five points and whether there is now a "buffer zone" on the border.

    Israel is expecting to receive the bodies of four hostages from Hamas on Thursday under the provisions of the first stage of an ongoing ceasefire deal with the Palestinian terror group. We hear how the IDF is preparing to receive the bodies and how the families will eventually be informed of their identities.

    Even as Egypt is working towards a proposal for rebuilding Gaza, Defense Minister Katz has called for a new directorate in the Defense Ministry tasked with enabling Palestinians to “voluntarily” leave the Gaza Strip, as per US President Donald Trump’s stated plans. Fabian weighs in.

    The Israel Defense Forces said it carried out a pair of drone strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday — one targeting a group of gunmen who were approaching Israeli forces in one area and the other as a warning when a car drove near soldiers in another. We hear how all is not calm on the ground in Gaza.

    The Israeli military announced on Sunday that it had completed its investigations into its failures during the lead-up to the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, and would begin to present its findings next Tuesday. We learn what the investigations should -- or should not -- unveil.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Lebanese army says it’s deploying in southern border villages as IDF withdraws

    IDF to remain in five strategic posts in south Lebanon after Tuesday withdrawal

    Israel says it is preparing for Hamas to return bodies of four hostages on Thursday

    Egypt developing plan to rebuild Gaza as counter to Trump’s call to depopulate area

    Katz announces new panel tasked with advancing ‘voluntary’ emigration of Gazans

    Hamas said to agree to cede Gaza governance to PA; Netanyahu: ‘Not going to happen’

    IDF drone strike hits gunmen in southern Gaza; three Hamas cops reportedly killed

    IDF completes all October 7 probes, will start presenting them next week

    IMAGE: A map showing the locations of five IDF posts in southern Lebanon that troops will remain deployed to after a February 18, 2025, deadline. (Times of Israel; OpenStreetMap)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    Following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Sunday visit in Israel, Berman discusses the seemingly coordinated statements made by Rubio and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The prime minister spoke about the deep synchronicity between him and the Trump administration, a relationship Netanyahu says he has cultivated for years, leading to an unprecedented opportunity in Israel's history.

    Berman notes that there did not seem to be any pressure to discuss the second phase of the hostage deal, until Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff commented later on a Fox News interview that the second phase will happen, with talks happening this week.

    Following Witkoff's statement, the Prime Minister's Office said a negotiating team would go to Cairo for the talks, and the cabinet is meeting Monday night. Berman notes there appears to be pressure from the Trump team, but it's unclear what Netanyahu wants.

    There's a paradox regarding the second phase of the hostage talks, says Berman, which calls for the end of the war, yet Hamas can't remain in power in Gaza, and it still retains forces and power in the region.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Trump envoy says there will ‘absolutely’ be stage 2 of ceasefire, as talks continue

    Hosting Rubio, Netanyahu says ‘gates of hell will surely open’ if all hostages not freed

    Former Israeli hostage negotiator says Israel missed two windows for deal

    Netanyahu cagey on Israel’s next steps as Trump deadline to free all hostages passes

    IMAGE: Protestors blocking Namir Road in Tel Aviv on the 500th day of captivity, with signs that read, 'President Trump, leave no hostage behind - 500 days in hell' on February 17, 2025 (Credit: Dana Reany/Israeli Pro-Democracy Protest Movement)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    As certain details emerge regarding the 15-month captivity of the three hostages released on Saturday, Horovitz discusses the scraps of information shared so far, including what's known about Iair Horn's brother Eitan, who is still a captive, that Sagui Dekel-Chen was tortured, and the potential implications of any information that is shared. 

    Horovitz also reviews the latest in the hostage deal, how many hostages remain to be released in the first stage and the delayed start to negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire. He discusses whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is debating whether to return to negotiations and what kind of leverage US President Donald Trump has in this situation. 

    Horovitz also discusses comments made by a former Israeli hostage negotiator regarding the missed opportunities for a hostage deal months earlier while the Prime Minister's Office offered an official statement dismissing the accusations.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Hours after release, freed hostages talk of Hamas torture, psychological torment

    Netanyahu cagey on Israel’s next steps as Trump deadline to free all hostages passes

    Former Israeli hostage negotiator says Israel missed two windows for deal

    IMAGE: Freed hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen is reunited with his wife Avital on his return to Israel after 498 days in captivity in Gaza, February 15, 2025. (IDF)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

    Released hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn crossed back into Israel this morning after being paraded on a stage in southern Gaza in a propaganda-filled release ceremony by the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups after 498 days in captivity. Fabian fills us in on the ceremony and their health status. We learn about how the IDF has handled the heightened tensions in the Gaza Strip this past week and its readiness to return to war-footing.

    In a meeting on Friday morning, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi apologized to four recently released hostage soldiers for their warnings not being treated seriously before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, as well as for their long captivity. Halevi met with Agam Berger, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev, who were released from Hamas captivity after some 15 months. We learn what else was leaked from the meeting.

    The outgoing deputy commander of UNIFIL was injured Friday, the international peacekeeping force said, after a convoy taking troops to the Beirut airport was attacked amid pro-Hezbollah demonstrations in the area. This occurred as the IDF is reluctantly readying a drawdown from Lebanon on February 18 -- which may or may not be its final withdrawal of troops, reports Fabian.

    Finally, we hear updates on the ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the West Bank and learn how much security cooperation there is with the Palestinian Authority for it.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Released hostages Dekel-Chen, Troufanov and Horn in Israel after 498 days in captivity

    Hamas made surveillance troops watch torture videos of male hostages, says mother

    IDF chief apologizes to freed surveillance soldiers for failing them on and before Oct. 7

    ‘I was starved and tortured’: Keith Siegel urges Trump to ensure all hostages freed

    Two weeks after his release, former hostage Ofer Calderon hospitalized with pneumonia

    UNIFIL’s outgoing deputy chief wounded as convoy attacked by pro-Hezbollah rioters

    IDF strikes Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, citing ‘direct threat’ to Israel

    Lebanon tells Iranian flight it can’t land, after IDF’s Hezbollah smuggling claim

    Troops neutralize bomb-laden car, Palestinian shot dead near IDF base, in West Bank

    IMAGE: A woman holds pictures of three released Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv on February 15, 2025 in the city's Hostages Square. (Jack GUEZ / AFP)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode, part of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join Berman and Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

    This week, Berman assesses how the current Trump administration's foreign policy seems to be shaping up. From the US president's bombshell February 4, 2025, proposal to transfer Gaza's population from the Strip to reset the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to efforts to end the Ukraine War, Trump's gaze appears to be as global as it is domestic.

    So how does that square with his promise to "Make America Great Again"?

    Berman zooms out and in 30 minutes illustrates how the president appears to be adopting a new motto: "Speak brashly and carry a big stick."

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Israel said readying for three hostages to be freed Saturday, still pushing for more

    IMAGE: US President Donald Trump takes questions during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Political correspondent Sam Sokol and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    Sokol looks at the coalition's struggle over ultra-Orthodox army service exemptions, between those who want to minimize exemptions and those who want to use legislation to create a gradual increase leading to universal enlistment. He discusses a recent Likud lawmaker conference on the subject, that called for a more universal Haredi draft and sanctions on draft dodgers.

    In honor of Tu B'Shvat, the Jewish holiday of the trees, Surkes reports on the new Jewish Climate Trust, with heavy involvement from philanthropist Steven Bronfman, of the Canadian Bronfman family. The fund, which is launching next month, will be the first to focus specifically on climate, aiming to help Jewish and Israeli climate organizations build interfaith bridges and regional bridges in the Middle East.

    Surkes also speaks about several moshav communities in the south that were attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. Two are located just outside the designated zone of the Gaza Envelope and are therefore not eligible for the funding necessary to rebuild after the October 7, 2023 attacks.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Likud lawmakers hold conference calling for Haredi draft, sanctions on dodgers

    Budding climate fund seeks to guide Jewish response to era’s greatest threat

    Just 138 yards too far from the Gaza border, towns are denied post-Oct. 7 state support

     

     

    IMAGE: Haredi men protest and clash with police against the ultra-Orthodox draft on January 28, 2025. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    Magid discusses how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flip-flopped Tuesday night with a series of statements regarding the current ceasefire and the number of hostages to be released on Saturday. Magid suggests it could be part of an ongoing effort to back US President Donald Trump's demands and to also keep Hamas guessing.

    As the IDF prepares to move enlisted soldiers down south to the Gaza border and called on reservists to ready themselves, Magid says there may be more legitimacy from the US toward Israel to battle Hamas again in order to achieve the broader goals of the region.

    Magid reviews Trump's meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah and Abdullah's offer to take in 2,000 sick Palestinian children, although it appears that Jordan is not interested in taking in mass amounts of Gazan refugees, and sees it as exporting the conflict.

    He also talks about the Palestinian Authority agreement to review legislation regarding welfare payments for Palestinian prisoners and families of slain attackers who killed Israelis in terrorist attacks.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Netanyahu: ‘Intense fighting’ to resume in Gaza if hostages not released by Saturday

    Trump urges ending Gaza ceasefire if all hostages not released by noon Saturday

    Abdullah says Jordan will take in 2,000 sick Gazan kids as Trump pushes relocation plan

    Architect of US law against PA ‘pay-to-slay’ skeptical of Ramallah effort to end it

    IMAGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a plenum session at the Knesset on February 10, 2025 (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Political correspondent Tal Schneider and diaspora reporter Zev Stub join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    Schneider discusses further details about some of the hostages that have emerged from the recently released hostages, including signs of life about twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman. There is also the news that hostage Shlomo Mansour, 86, appears to have been killed on October 7, 2023, his body taken into captivity by Hamas terrorists.

    As the government cabinet meets Tuesday morning to discuss the Hamas accusation that Israel has breached the ceasefire deal, Schneider reviews what those breaches may be, including that Israel didn't send a negotiating team to Qatar for the second stage of the deal, and its delays in sending certain supplies to Gaza.

    Stub offers a preview of the World Zionist Organization's upcoming elections in March, and how the event, held every five years, represents the Orthodox-liberal struggle in the Jewish world.

    He also discusses the growth of the Orthodox Union in Israel, and the organization's decision to embrace that growth by moving into new offices.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    IDF says Shlomo Mansour was killed on Oct. 7 and his body taken to Gaza

    Hamas says it’s delaying next hostage release, alleging Israeli truce violations

    Trump urges ending Gaza ceasefire if all hostages not released by noon Saturday

    The man with the plan: DC prof sent Trump study on Gaza relocation, development in July

    Upcoming WZO election sees Orthodox-liberal struggle, opportunity for North American Jews

    As religious immigration rises, OU expands presence in Israel, investing in integration

    IMAGE: A protest that took place outside the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on February 11, 2025 as a cabinet meeting was held inside, discussing the ceasefire (Credit: Orna Kupferman)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    With the return to Israel of the three most recently released hostages, several hostage families are receiving the first signs of life from their loved ones, including hostage Alon Ohel. Horovitz discusses the heartbreaking descriptions shared by Idit Ohel, Alon Ohel's mother, on the Sunday night news. Ohel broke down crying as she described her son's injuries and abuses, now known by the family as Ohel was held until Saturday with released hostages Or Levy and Eli Sharabi.

    Horovitz talks about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's return home to Israel, where he and his cabinet summarily postponed the discussion of convening a state commission of inquiry into the failures that led to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, a commission that would presumably cause his government to fall.

    Horovitz also reviews Netanyahu's reactions to US President Donald Trump's ideas about the Gaza Strip, a plan that the prime minister seemingly didn't know about before arriving in the US last week, and how Trump's support of Israel is pushing Netanyahu forward on his goals in Gaza.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Pleading for his release, mother says hostage Alon Ohel is wounded, chained in Hamas tunnels

    At rowdy meeting, cabinet delays for 3 months decision on state inquiry into Gaza war

    PM returns to court for criminal trial testimony, says he faces medical ‘challenges’

    Trump’s ‘Extreme Makeover: Gaza Edition’ has many flaws. One of the worst is its absent morality

    IMAGE: In Kfar Saba in February 2025, a protestor holding images of hostages, Tsahi Idan, left, included in the first stage of the exchange, while hostage Alon Ohel, right, is not (Credit: Danor Aharon)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    As the three hostages, Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami return to Israel, questions arise about what they knew of their families' fates as they were released. Fabian discusses some of the details about what each man learned upon coming home to Israel, whether Eli Sharabi found out that his wife and daughters had been killed from Hamas, the Red Cross or his family, and if Or Levy knew his wife Eynav had been killed before he was taken into captivity.

    Palestinians are allowed to return to northern Gaza, along the Netzarim Corridor, after the IDF cleared out its remaining positions, says Fabian, adding that Gazans are already approaching the area.

    With nine more days left in the ceasefire with Lebanon, Fabian discusses Israel's enforcement of the ceasefire agreement, and the additional understandings that allow Israel to act against any Hezbollah act, including its Saturday strikes against Hezbollah members at a strategic missile site, which Israel said were a blatant violation of the ceasefire.

    Following the Saturday IDF strike on a Hamas arms depot near Damascus, the first in more than a year, Fabian talks about the site as one that was known to the IDF. It was suspected that the arms could be used to attack IDF troops in the area.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Almog, 3, to his dad, freed hostage Or Levy: ‘It took you a long time to come back’

    IDF strikes Hezbollah operatives in eastern Lebanon; 6 reported killed, 2 wounded

    IDF says it carried out airstrike on Hamas arms depot near Damascus

    IMAGE: Hamas hands over hostage Or Levy to the Red Cross on February 8, 2025. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

    Eli Sharabi, 52, Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, are back home in Israel after 491 days of captivity. Sharabi was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri when Hamas terrorists rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023. His wife and daughters were murdered in their home’s safe room and he and his brother Yossi were taken captive. Brother Yossi has since been confirmed dead and Hamas is holding his body.

    Or Levy, 34, was kidnapped from the Supernova rave near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7. His wife Eynav was killed, and their now three-year-old son Almog has been staying with his grandparents since.

    Ohad Ben Ami, was kidnapped from Be’eri. His wife Raz Ben Ami was also abducted, and released as part of a week-long ceasefire in November 2023.

    We learn about initial health assessments and hear about the ceremony this morning, in which Hamas forced the men to speak onstage in Dir El Balak and thank the terror organization for their "good treatment."

    We discuss how the IDF is still operating in parts of the Gaza Strip and what is meant to happen in the next two weeks of phase 1 of the already mediated deal, even as phase 2 is still in process.

    Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi on Friday to reprimand the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, after he reportedly warned during a military assessment meeting about potential security risks relating to US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip and displace its population. Fabian weighs in on this incident and what it may signify. We discusses what is happening on the ground in the West Bank as the IDF continues its almost three-week ongoing intensive counter-terrorism operation there.

    The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Thursday night, targeting weapons storage sites in the Nabatieh area and the Beqaa Valley. Fabian updates us on the extended truce in Lebanon and expected next steps ahead of the February 18 deadline.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Gaunt and frail, hostages Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami freed after 16 months

    Poll: 70% of Israelis support second phase of hostage-ceasefire deal

    Katz reprimands IDF intel chief for warning discourse on Trump’s Gaza plan could prompt violence

    IDF fighter jets hit Hezbollah weapons depots that Israel says violated ceasefire

    IMAGE: Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, who has been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023, is paraded by Hamas gunmen before being handed over to the Red Cross in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, February 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent Thursday on Capitol Hill, Berman reports from the Capitol, where much of the focus is still on US President Donald Trump's proposal to offer Gazans to relocate from the war-torn region.

    Berman says the atmosphere toward Netanyahu is friendly and the prime minister's entourage is "almost giddy" with the sense of friendship and support from the Trump administration, following the criticism and tension that existed with members of the Biden administration.

    While the date to restart negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire with Hamas has come and gone, Berman says that Israel is now trying to extend the current stage of the deal as much as possible and to get some more hostages out in this first stage. He adds that Israel currently has the upper hand right given Trump's support, and Hamas appears to be carefully maneuvering itself, in its attempt not to be seen as the one making the deal fail.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Netanyahu gifted Trump a golden pager at White House meeting, PM’s office confirms

    Trump says Israel would hand Gaza to US when war ends, no American troops needed there

    PM calls Trump’s Gaza plan ‘remarkable’; Katz tells IDF to prep for voluntary emigration

    Meeting Netanyahu, US defense secretary says Trump seeking ‘new ways to solve problems’

    Trump’s Gaza plan won’t happen, but it could certainly shake up the region

    IMAGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, is welcomed by, from left, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as they meet at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    Political correspondent Sam Sokol and reporter Diana Bletter join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    Sokol discusses the variety of reactions from Knesset members to the remarks made by US President Donald Trump suggesting the relocation of Gazans from the Strip during the expected long reconstruction period. He looks at the predictably pleased statements from the far-right flank of the government, including former national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and the more guarded comments of Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and National Unity party leader Benny Gantz.

    Bletter reports on her trips to several northern villages, where residents are waiting to see if the ceasefire with Hezbollah will hold. Her visit to Alawite village Ghajar, the Jewish town of Mattat and the Druze village of Hurfeish left her with an impression of residents eager to return to regular life but unsure as to what the future may hold.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Ben Gvir says he’ll return to government if PM implements Trump’s Gaza transfer plan

    Smotrich says he supports Saudi normalization, but not if it means ending war

    Lapid: We need to ‘study the details to understand’ Trump’s plan for Gaza

    Gantz welcomes Trump’s Gaza comments: ‘Creative, original and interesting thinking’

    ‘Fear is now in our DNA’: With pause in Hezbollah attacks, two border towns regroup

    As Alawite village on Israel-Lebanon border reopens, locals fear for relatives in Syria

    IMAGE: Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip via Rashid Street located on the sea, on February 5, 2025 (Photo by Ali Hassan/Flash90)

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  • Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

    US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

    After US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in the White House on Tuesday, Trump repeated his statements to the press about relocating all Gazans, possibly placing US troops in Gaza and annexing the West Bank.

    Magid reviews the highlights of Trump's comments and the press conference that followed, as well as reactions from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, condemning Trump's plan.

    Magid discusses Trump's ideas regarding a peace process with Saudi Arabia and looks at the US President's statements regarding the annexation of the West Bank as a pressure tactic and one that naturally emboldens Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners.

    In Magid's exit interview with Israel's Ambassador to the US, Mike Herzog, who served two different Israeli governments, the diplomat shares his perspectives on US-Israel relations, criticizing the Biden administration for its delays in shipping armaments, but also warning against relying solely on Republican support for Israel.

    Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

    Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

    For further reading:

    Trump: US will ‘take over’ Gaza, level it and create ‘Riviera of the Middle East’

    Countering Trump, Saudi Arabia says no Israel normalization without Palestinian state

    Hosting PM, Trump urges permanent relocation of all Gazans: ‘That place has been hell’

    After finishing DC tour, an Israeli ambassador known for his discretion is ready to talk

    IMAGE: US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., February 4, 2025. (Photo by Liri Agami/Flash90)

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