Day 465 - Israel anxiously awaits possible hostage deal news

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
reporter Diana Bletter join host Jessica
Steinberg for today's episode.


Tensions are high in Israel over the possibility of a proposed
hostage deal. Schneider discusses the Sunday phone conversation
between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe
Biden regarding the negotiations. She also reviews which Israeli
officials are currently in Doha, along with Steve Witkoff,
President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy.


Schneider says Netanyahu met with coalition leaders Finance
Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar
Ben Gvir, as the prime minister needs those two powerful
coalition partners on board to approve any hostage deal.


Bletter talks about her visits to two northern kibbutz
communities where residents have been evacuated for more than a
year and now have to decide what the future holds for them. 


She also discusses a Weizmann Institute study about ants, and
their ability to work well as a team, unlike their human
counterparts.


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


Discussed articles include:


Biden stresses ‘immediate need’ for hostage-truce deal in
call with Netanyahu


Netanyahu dispatches top negotiators to Qatar talks amid
push to seal hostage deal


PM to meet with Smotrich to gauge support for a potential
hostage deal — report


Inside the Lebanon-border closed military zone, kibbutz
members prepare to start over


Ants have more ‘group smarts’ than humans, Israeli study
finds


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podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves.


IMAGE: People walking next to a poster of Israelis held hostage
by Hamas in Gaza, 'We won't stop until they're all released!' in
Jerusalem, January 12, 2025 ( Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)


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