Day 483 - After chaotic hostage scene, Israel demands calmer handover

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.


Reporter Amy Spiro joins host
Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.


With the release home of hostage and surveillance soldier Agam
Berger, followed by the terrifying mayhem surrounding the release
of hostages Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Mozes and the five Thai hostages,
Spiro discusses Israel's delay of the release of Palestinian
prisoners, and its demand to Hamas to guarantee safe passage in
the release of future hostages.


Spiro reviews what is known about the release of the Thai
hostages, Pongsak Thenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun,
Bannawat Seathao, and Surasak Lamnau, and reactions from the Thai
Embassy.


US President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was in
Israel yesterday, meeting with some of the released hostages and
in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square and Spiro discusses his central
role in the ongoing ceasefire and his meetings with some of the
more right-wing partners of the coalition government.


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is traveling to the US next
week to meet with Trump, amid the ceasefire talks, and Spiro
talks about expectations for those negotiations.


For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s
ongoing live blog.


Discussed articles include:


‘We’ll never leave you again’: Families meet freed
hostages after 15 months of agony


Furious over ‘shocking scenes’ of hostage handover,
Israel delays release of prisoners


Surveillance soldiers all finally home: Agam Berger’s
return closes one horrific Oct. 7 chapter


In Thailand, families of hostages weep with joy upon news
of their release from Gaza


Working through the trauma, Thai farmhands who survived
Oct. 7 return to the fields


Zakaria Zubeidi among terrorists to get heroes’ welcome
as Israel frees 110 prisoners


Witkoff meets freed soldiers, ex-hostages, officials,
stresses commitment to full deal


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podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.


IMAGE: Arbel Yehoud, center, with her parents and siblings on an
IDF helicopter after being freed from captivity on January 30,
2025. (Courtesy)


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