ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 496

Daily Briefing Jan. 23: Day 475 – Tensions grow as next release of hostages nears

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz discusses twists and turns of the ceasefire deal; the PA and Gaza; and the resignation of IDF chief Herzi Halevi

With:
  • Jessica Steinberg
    Jessica Steinberg

    Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel’s culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

  • David Horovitz
    David Horovitz

    David Horovitz is the founding editor of The Times of Israel. He is the author of “Still Life with Bombers” (2004) and “A Little Too Close to God” (2000), and co-author of “Shalom Friend: The Life and Legacy of Yitzhak Rabin” (1996). He previously edited The Jerusalem Post (2004-2011) and The Jerusalem Report (1998-2004).

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.

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

Horovitz reviews the fraught, ongoing process of the hostage releases, both those that took place on Sunday and the four women expected to be released on Saturday. He notes how every day brings a new twist in the ceasefire and hostage release deal, and the terrifying moment of transfer in Gaza City on Sunday.

He discusses some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the ceasefire: how and why it finally came about, the cooperation between the Trump and Biden administrations, a weakened Hezbollah and the positioning of Hamas — along with the fact that it’s not an easy deal for Israel, but it will save hostages’ lives.

Looking ahead to phase two of the deal, hostages’ families plead for their loved ones. Horovitz discusses some of the politics that will enter that part of the process, and how it could affect the stability of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

Horovitz addresses the likelihood of the Palestinian Authority taking some portion of control over a postwar Gaza, and the tremendous amount of nuance involved in any discussion of that scenario.

Finally, he talks about the resignation of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, due to take effect in March, and what it has meant to have Halevi take responsibility for the military failures that led to October 7, as well as why many Israelis still feel loyal to him.

This conversation can be viewed here:

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

Discussed articles include:

Top officials said already gearing up for 2nd phase hostage talks, ahead of schedule

Israel said to tell Hamas it expects Arbel Yehud to be among next freed hostages

Farewell Herzi Halevi, uniformed embodiment of our national tragedy, leader of the fightback

IDF chief Halevi’s resignation letter: Oct. 7 failure will stay with me for rest of my life

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple PodcastsSpotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode here:

read more:
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.