Day 745 - Witkoff, Kushner arrive in Israel to keep ceasefire going
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 October 2025
⏱️ 20 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.
Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and diplomatic reporter Nava Freiberg join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
As US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and fellow advisor Jared Kushner arrive in Israel, Berman discusses that Israel has fulfilled its first steps in the ceasefire involving Palestinian prisoners and the 'Yellow Line' to which the IDF has withdrawn in the Gaza Strip, but that Hamas has not kept its part of the bargain, with the remaining 16 hostages' bodies still held in Gaza, and the Hamas attack in Gaza Sunday that killed two soldiers.
Witkoff and Kushner will meet with Israel's high-ranking officials and cabinet, says Berman, as two US advisors aim to safeguard the tenuous ceasefire that is one week old.
The two US advisors appeared on "60 Minutes" on Sunday night, discusses Frieberg, unveiling details of the process and the steps that led to the announcement of the first stage of the ceasefire deal, and aspects of the more personal conversations with Hamas officials that helped push things forward.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Hamas isn’t acting like a defeated force, which puts the entire Gaza ceasefire at risk
Netanyahu denies Trump forced truce on him, says war ends ‘for good’ when Hamas disarmed
Hamas says it returned 2 more bodies of hostages; remains taken to forensic lab for ID
Israel says resuming Gaza ceasefire after deadly attack on troops led to massive strikes
Kushner: Israel must improve Palestinians’ lives if it wants ‘integration’ into region
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves.
IMAGE: A billboard shows images of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US President Donald Trump, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Tel Aviv on October 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel's Daily Briefing. It is Monday, October 20th, and I'm Jessica Steinberg. I'm speaking today with diplomatic correspondent Laser Berman and Deputy Diplomatic reporter Nova Fryberg. Welcome to you both. Good morning. Good morning, Jessica. Hi there. It is day 745 of the war. |
| 0:21.6 | Two soldiers were killed by Palestinian operatives in Rafa Gaza on Sunday morning. |
| 0:26.6 | Their names are Major Yaniv Kula, he was 26, and Staff Sergeant Italyavets, 21. |
| 0:32.6 | It was the first deadly incident for the IDF in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire, |
| 0:37.7 | which is now a week old. |
| 0:39.2 | It was obviously six days old yesterday. |
| 0:41.9 | Following that incident, the Air Force and ground troops carried out strikes in the area. |
| 0:46.9 | Hours later, Israel said it was resuming the ceasefire. |
| 0:50.5 | We'll talk about that, the implications of the attack. |
| 0:54.1 | And we'll also look at what U.S. envoy, Steve Whitkoff, and Jared Kushner said We'll talk about that, the implications of the attack. |
| 0:59.7 | And we'll also look at what U.S. envoy, Steve Whitkoff, and Jared Kushner said on 60 Minutes, |
| 1:01.8 | which was broadcast last night in the U.S. |
| 1:05.6 | And, of course, Whitkoff and Kushner landed in Israel this morning. |
| 1:10.9 | We don't know what's unfolding yet from that meeting and visit, but we'll talk about what we do know. |
| 1:12.2 | So stay with us. |
| 1:22.3 | This episode is brought to you by the Jewish Communal Fund, helping individuals and families make the most of their charitable giving. |
| 1:25.2 | When new tax laws taking effect in 2026, |
| 1:28.6 | 2025 is the optimal time to open or contribute to a donor-advised fund. |
| 1:34.5 | Open a JCF fund with as little as $5,000. |
| 1:38.0 | Choose how your funds are invested and make grants to any IRS- qualified charity on your own timeline. |
| 1:45.4 | JCF's donor-advised funds make it easy to manage your giving, |
| 1:49.6 | maximize your tax savings, and make a lasting impact. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Times of Israel, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Times of Israel and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.