Daily Briefing April 8: Day 185 – With Gaza troop drawdown, PM marches to Biden’s drum
Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren on hostage talks and an honest appraisal of Israelis after 6 months of war; reporter Canaan Lidor on evacuees’ status and a surprising Shas letter
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleWelcome 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.
It is day 185 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.
This morning, Israeli and Palestinian officials have downplayed reports that a truce and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas could be reached as early as this week. But citing a senior Egyptian official involved in the talks, the Egyptian outlet Al-Qahera reported that talks in Cairo have made “significant progress on several contentious points of agreement.” Goren puts these headlines into perspective and explores how a recent phone call between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week is playing a role.
Six months after the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel, 70% of those who were forced to depart the affected area have returned. The government released data yesterday. Lidor brings us some more numbers.
Also yesterday, 18 prominent rabbis associated with the Shas party and ultra-Orthodox Sephardi movement signed onto a document rejecting any compromise on the conscription of Haredi Jews – including those who are not studying in yeshivas. Lidor explains why this runs counter to perceived notions of Shas.
Finally, to mark six months of war, Goren explores how October 7 was Israel’s national experience of a solar eclipse.
For the latest updates, please see The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
IDF chief says withdrawal of troops from Gaza doesn’t mean war is close to end
Israel, Hamas downplay report of progress in truce talks amid optimism from Egypt
6 months on, 70% of evacuees from the south are home, but thousands remain in hotels
Shas rabbis spurn compromise on Haredi draft following High Court ruling
THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas’s onslaught on Israel
THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown
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