Daily Briefing Oct. 16: Day 741 – Is Hamas playing games with remaining hostage bodies?

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 correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

As Hamas announced it has handed over to Israel all the bodies of hostages it can find, Berman asks whether Hamas is playing games or whether it really can’t locate the remaining 19 bodies. The prevailing thought in the cabinet is that Hamas could access more if it wanted to, and therefore Israel will slowly ramp up the pressure on Hamas — for now, blocking the entry of reconstruction materials.

Berman also discusses the question of whether the war against Hamas has ended;  Israel hasn’t declared an end and wants to keep the military threat hanging over Hamas’s head unless it moves forward with its obligations under the peace plan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was diagnosed with bronchitis on Wednesday, in the thick of his resumed corruption trial. Berman notes that the prime minister, who is about to turn 76 and is not in perfect health, had been in close contact with recently released hostages whose immune systems have been compromised.

Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Hamas returns bodies of hostages Tamir Nimrodi, Uriel Baruch, Eitan Levy; 4th body a Palestinian

Senior Israeli official insists Gaza war ‘not over’ until all truce phases complete

Trial hearing ends early for ill Netanyahu, who’s accused of exposing freed hostages to disease

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Check out yesterday’s episode here: