Daily Briefing Dec. 19: Day 74 - Hostage families split as new release deal may loom

Reporter Canaan Lidor on emergence of 2 camps of hostage relatives, rehoming of internally displaced; Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani on freed prisoners returning to school

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.

Today is day 74 of the war. Reporter Canaan Lidor and Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s podcast.

Lidor attended the hostage families’ rally last Saturday night in Tel Aviv, which occurred a day after the deadly accident that saw three hostages shot by the IDF in Gaza. He explains the development of political camps within the movement.

In the hostage release deal, some 20 East Jerusalem residents of school age were set free. They are slated to rejoin the city’s education system on January 10, after the Christmas holidays marked in the city’s east. Pacchiani reports on concerns within the Jerusalem municipality.

It’s been over 10 weeks since the October 7 massacre and most of the internally displaced Israelis who live near the Gaza and Lebanon borders are still in hotels and temporary housing. Lidor discusses some plans on the horizon.

Until a couple of weeks ago, residents of the unrecognized Bedouin village Umm al-Hiran, east of the Negev’s capital Beersheba, had no adequate protection against rocket fire from Gaza. What’s changed?

Public Christmas celebrations have been canceled throughout the Holy Land. But Pacchiani spoke with one Santa in the Old City who is keeping up his traditions.

“Israel in Egypt,” which was first performed in 1739 and references stories from the Hebrew Bible, is now off the program for a German choir’s holiday concert. Lidor explains that this is part of a growing European phenomenon.

For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.