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.
Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.
The UN Security Council is slated to vote on a resolution demanding “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza. This time, there is also the demand for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” Rettig Gur weighs in on what the chances are of its passage — and whether it is of any significance.
After a meeting with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein said, “I came back [to Lebanon] because we have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end,” adding that gaps between the sides had been “significantly narrowed” in the talks Tuesday. Berri said the “situation is good in principle,” though some unresolved technical details remain. Why aren’t we hearing such optimism from Israel?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an Israeli military position in the Gaza Strip and reiterated an offer to lavishly pay any Gazans who turn over Israeli hostages, upping the reward to $5 million for each captive, after previously suggesting Israel would pay “several million” for their recovery. Rettig Gur dives into what else the premier was setting out to accomplish.
For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
UNSC to vote on resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire, freeing of hostages
US envoy says Lebanon ceasefire ‘within grasp’ as soldier killed in drone strike
Touring Gaza, PM vows Hamas won’t return to power, offers $5 million for hostages
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