Daily Briefing Nov 19: Day 44 - Hostage families get leaders' attention after 5-day march

Editor David Horovitz on seeming reprioritization of war goals, lack of funding for security teams in Gaza envelope; Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani on East Jerusalem quiet

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Today is day 44 of the war. Editor David Horovitz and Gianluca Pacchiani join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s podcast.

The IDF is expanding the ground operation in northern Gaza, in which 59 soldiers have fallen as of this morning. On November 14, hundreds of families of hostages and supporters began a five-day trek to Jerusalem, which they reached yesterday. Tens of thousands of Israelis joined them. We hear Horovitz’s impressions.

Also on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was heavy international pressure against Israel’s war on Hamas, as he pledged to continue pressing the military campaign in Gaza until the terror group is overthrown and the hostages it seized are returned. Where is the pressure coming from?

On Wednesday, the printed version of the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad featured a front-page editorial in Hebrew titled “What will happen after Israel?” What is the story behind this newspaper?

Since the Hamas massacre of 1,200 on October 7, east Jerusalem has been what Pacchiani calls “eerily silent.” We hear more.

Nearly 400 people gathered on Monday night in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Abu Tor for Jewish-Arab solidarity and coexistence amid the ongoing war between Israel and terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Pacchiani was there and reports back.

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