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 health editor Diana Bletter join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.
Schneider discusses the latest in the hostage talks, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the family of Edan Alexander after a video of the US-Israeli soldier was released by Hamas. The premier also updated the cabinet on negotiations.
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She also looks at the visit of Housing and Construction Minister Yitzchak Goldknopf to the Gaza border to inspect sites in the Strip where he says he wants to reestablish Jewish settlements, and discusses why an ultra-Orthodox Knesset minister would involve himself in that political storm.
Bletter speaks about her visits in the last week to several northern communities and cities that were devastated by the 14 months of war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and what residents — those who were returning to their homes after a long displacement as well as those who had stayed put in the north — have to say about the ceasefire.
Bletter also looks at Tel Aviv University research that could be promising in terms of treatment for aspects of a certain type of autism.
For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.
Discussed articles include:
Netanyahu convenes discussion on hostage negotiations with new ceasefire push
Top Likud minister said to support ousting Netanyahu in talk with hostage relatives
Touring Gaza border region, senior Haredi minister calls to resettle the Strip
In northern border town of Shlomi, a wary trickle home in the shadow of a fragile ceasefire
Northern evacuees question whether a ceasefire deal is enough to see them home
Israeli study finds gene mutation that may cause some autism, possibly enabling treatment
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