Day 541 - Israel adds pressure on Hamas to advance negotiations
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.4 • 864 Ratings
🗓️ 30 March 2025
⏱️ 25 minutes
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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.
Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
The Israeli military said Saturday evening it had expanded its ground offensive in the southern Gaza Strip to expand a buffer zone along the borders of the Strip, the IDF said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this morning that the security cabinet last night voted to increase pressure on Hamas. This comes as mediation efforts are stepping up. Berman explains where negotiations stand now -- and why.
Last week, Gazans took to the streets in protest against the Hamas regime throughout the Gaza Strip. This morning we learned that Hamas operatives kidnapped, tortured and executed a 22-year-old Palestinian man, Oday Nasser Al Rabay, who participated in last week’s wave of protests, according to his family. This comes as we learn of a June 2023 document from the Defense Ministry unit that oversees the Gaza Strip which recommended a potential long-term truce (hudna) with Hamas. Berman delves into what this document says about Israel's "conception" of Hamas capabilities.
Hundreds of thousands of anti-government demonstrators rallied in Istanbul Saturday calling for democracy to be defended after the arrest of mayor Ekrem Imamoglu which sparked Turkey’s worst street unrest in over a decade. Berman examines the Israel-Turkey relationship -- or lack thereof -- since October 7, 2023.
Syria’s new transitional government was sworn in Saturday, nearly four months after the Assad family was removed from power and as the new authorities in Damascus work to bring back stability to the war-torn country. While the 23-member Cabinet is religiously and ethnically mixed, Israel sees itself as a defender of Syria's minorities, says Berman.
Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
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.
For further reading:
Israel confirms it received new Gaza truce proposal from mediators, made counteroffer
IDF expands ground op in southern Gaza, pushing further into Rafah
In disturbing Hamas video, distraught hostage Elkana Bohbot shouts and begs for release
Gazan man murdered by Hamas after joining protests against terror group, family says
Report: A June 2023 Defense Ministry document proposed near-sovereignty for Hamas in Gaza
Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, gather at Istanbul rally to protest against Erdogan
Syria swears in new transitional government four months after ousting Assad
IMAGE: Palestinians buy clothes in a shop next to a destroyed apartment building in preparation for Eid al-Fitr celebrations at Al-Rimal neighborhood in the center of Gaza City, March 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Times of Israel's daily briefing. |
| 0:05.5 | Today is Sunday, March 30th, day 541 of the war. |
| 0:10.3 | Amanda Borsel, Dan, here with our diplomatic reporter, Laser Barman, |
| 0:13.8 | high laser, top of the morning, week, and Hebrew month to you. |
| 0:18.9 | Yes, that is right. |
| 0:20.4 | Bokertov, Shavua Tov, Chodas Tov, good to be here. |
| 0:24.1 | Thanks. |
| 0:24.5 | Always a pleasure having you. |
| 0:26.1 | Now, last night, as Israeli streets were filled with rallies in support of a hostage-release |
| 0:31.7 | deal, Israel confirmed that it had received a new ceasefire release proposal from mediating countries and said it had made a counteroffer. |
| 0:42.7 | So, laser will for listen on what that offer is. |
| 0:46.4 | There are reports that in June, 2023, there were IDF recommendations that Israel enter a houdna or a truce with Hamas. |
| 0:58.9 | So we'll hear about who wrote that report and in what kind of context just four months ahead of the October 7 massacre. |
| 1:07.3 | And Laser will weigh in on the unrest in Turkey and Syria's new officially sworn in government. |
| 1:15.2 | All this and more when we're back. |
| 1:23.5 | It's rare, almost unheard of, to hear a real, honest conversation between a Jewish Zionist |
| 1:31.0 | and a Palestinian from Gaza, where both are unapologetically themselves while also |
| 1:37.6 | listening and learning from each other. |
| 1:40.0 | But that's exactly what's happening in a special two-part series on unpacking Israeli |
| 1:45.7 | history this month. |
| 1:48.6 | Host Noam Weissman sits down with Palestinian-American writer and activist Ahmed Fuad al-Katib, |
| 1:55.3 | who was born and raised in Gaza, for a candid, eye-opening conversation about the past, present and future of the region. |
... |
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