Daily Briefing July 8: Day 276 – Netanyahu’s four no’s for continued hostage talks

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.

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s episode.

Last night, ahead of the Israeli negotiating team’s departure for further hostage deal talks in Cairo and Doha later this week, Netanyahu presented a list of what he said were nonnegotiable Israeli demands. What was included in this list?

Marking nine months since the October 7 Hamas massacre, President Isaac Herzog on Sunday asserted that a majority of the public is in favor of a deal to free hostages taken by Hamas terrorists during the brutal assault. What does this statement represent?

Gaza City residents say that they are seeing some of the heaviest fighting since the start of the war and the Israeli military sent columns of tanks into the city from different directions. At the same time, an Israeli military pilot program creating “humanitarian enclaves” for Gazan civilians unaffiliated with Hamas is reportedly set to be rolled out in two northern Gaza cities, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. Berman weighs in.

Keir Starmer, the United Kingdom’s newly elected prime minister, told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a Sunday morning call that he looks forward to “further deepening the close relationship between the two countries.” What else was discussed, according to 10 Downing Street?

The so-called moderate candidate won Iran’s runoff elections this weekend. Under Masoud Pezeshkian, could Iran be more likely to conduct nuclear talks?

Haaretz newspaper reported yesterday that during the first hours of the October 7 Hamas terror onslaught in southern Israel, IDF troops on the ground were instructed to prevent the kidnapping of soldiers into Gaza by whatever means necessary, including the controversial “Hannibal Protocol.” Berman discusses this morally problematic directive that was rescinded in 2016.

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

Discussed articles include:

Netanyahu issues list of ‘nonnegotiable’ demands as hostage talks slated to restart

Herzog: An ‘absolute majority’ of the nation supports a hostage deal

IDF launches new operation in Gaza City, troops raid UNRWA compound used by Hamas

Israel to reportedly try creating Hamas-free ‘bubble’ zones in northern Gaza

UK’s Starmer to Netanyahu: There is ‘urgent need’ for Gaza ceasefire

Election of Iran’s Pezeshkian raises prospects of new nuclear talks with the West

IDF officers invoked defunct ‘Hannibal Protocol’ during Oct. 7 fighting – report

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Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode: