From the Liveblog of
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Netanyahu speaks to Liri Albag’s family after Hamas issues video
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with the parents of hostage Liri Albag following Hamas’s release of a propaganda video featuring the captive IDF servicewoman.
“The prime minister told the family that he sympathizes with the suffering that Liri, her family, and all the hostages and their families are going through,” the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement. “The prime minister assured them that Israel is continuing to work tirelessly to return Liri and all the hostages home, and that efforts are ongoing — including at this very moment.”
A mid-level Israeli hostage negotiating team held talks on Friday with Qatari mediators, who were also hosting Hamas representatives in Doha for parallel discussions, in efforts to overcome sustained differences between the warring parties. A senior Israeli official told Axios that Israel and Hamas remain at an impasse over almost all topics being negotiated.
The Times of Israel Community.