Day 518 - Witkoff encourages Hamas to release US citizen as 'goodwill'
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.4 • 864 Ratings
🗓️ 7 March 2025
⏱️ 45 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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.
US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing, which is followed by a full episode of The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus with Lazar Berman.
Magid focuses on some of the major developments in the hostage release-ceasefire negotiations, including Wednesday's revelation that the US has been conducting direct talks with Hamas to get hostages out. The US designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in 1997. Does speaking directly with Hamas contravene some kind of protocol for dealing with terrorist entities?
US envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff is pressing Hamas for an act of "goodwill" to release the final living US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander. How has Israel reacted to this?
We learn how Magid believes the new direct negotiations with Hamas will reshape the contours of the mediated ceasefire deal and whether they will help them transition into phase two.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Trump defends direct US-Hamas talks as Israel seethes, attempts to sabotage them
US talks with Hamas said to hit snag after media leak; PM unhappy they’re taking place
Analysts: Direct US-Hamas talks reflect ‘dysfunction’ in ceasefire negotiations
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.
IMAGE: President Donald Trump poses for photos with family members of Edan Alexander, a hostage held by Hamas, after visiting the gravesite of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, October 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:06.0 | Today is Friday, March 7th, Day 518 of the war. |
| 0:11.2 | Amanda Borchelle Dan here with our U.S. Bureau Chief, Jacob, |
| 0:14.2 | Mikeid. |
| 0:15.0 | Hi, Jacob. |
| 0:15.7 | Thanks for joining me. |
| 0:16.9 | Hi, Amanda. |
| 0:17.7 | Thanks for having me. |
| 0:18.9 | This short daily briefing will be followed by a full episode of our Friday focus with |
| 0:24.6 | diplomatic reporter Laser Bearman in which we drill down into Israel's relationship with Egypt. |
| 0:31.4 | But first, Jacob and I will focus on some of the major developments in the hostage-release ceasefire |
| 0:37.1 | negotiations. |
| 0:38.8 | So, Jacob, we learned on Wednesday that the U.S. has been conducting direct talks with |
| 0:44.9 | Hamas to get hostages out. The U.S. designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in 1997, |
| 0:53.7 | if I'm not mistaken. |
| 0:55.2 | So does speaking directly with Hamas contravene some kind of protocol for dealing with terrorist |
| 1:02.7 | entities? |
| 1:04.0 | So there's no U.S. law against speaking to terror organizations. |
| 1:09.2 | What the law says is that you can't provide terror organizations |
| 1:12.5 | with material or technical support. And even if you do violate this, it's the president who |
| 1:18.2 | decides who is going to be prosecuted. But what Trump says on Thursday is that the U.S. is not |
| 1:24.6 | giving material support to Hamas. He specifically says we're not |
... |
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