Day 800 - Ceasefire tensions escalate after top Hamas commander is killed
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 14 December 2025
⏱️ 28 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 environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
Following the IDF strike that killed top Hamas commander Raad Saad in Gaza City, Berman reviews the obstacles for Israel and Hamas in moving toward the second phase of the broader ceasefire. He discusses how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump will need to find a way to agree on the thorny and fundamental issue of how to get Hamas to disarm.
As the IDF postponed a planned airstrike on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon, Berman reports on the ongoing issue of needing Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese Army's efforts to work to accomplish that, and Israel's dissatisfaction with Lebanon's progress.
After the Water Authority began channeling desalinated water to the Sea of Galilee, the first ever attempt anywhere in the world to top up a freshwater lake with processed seawater, Surkes reports on hopes that it will raise the level of the sea by half a centimeter a year.
Surkes also discusses the new facility for the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center, featuring the world’s only sea turtle breeding program, helping protect and preserve these creatures that have existed on the planet for 330 million years.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
US State Department said to ask 70 countries to contribute to Gaza stabilization force
Report: Israel agrees to US demand to pay for massive Gaza rubble-clearing operation
Beirut has been warned of possible Israeli offensive against Hezbollah — Lebanese FM
Scientists tracking impact as desalinated water flows into Sea of Galilee for first time
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IMAGE: Palestinians inspect a car belonging to Hamas commander Raad Saad after it was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on December 13, 2025. (Fathi Ibrahim/Flash90)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel's Daily Briefing. It is Sunday, December 14th, and I'm Jessica Steinberg. I'm speaking today with diplomatic correspondent Laser Berman and environmental reporter Sue Sierks, Chavuatov. How do you both? |
| 0:16.2 | Hi, Shavuatov. Good morning. Good morning. Hi, good morning. It is day 800 of the war. |
| 0:22.6 | Marking the 800th days since October 7th, 2023, more than 200 former hostages, loved ones |
| 0:29.7 | of former hostages, and bereaved families of deceased hostages, signed a letter written to |
| 0:35.7 | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding that he |
| 0:38.2 | established State Commission of Inquiry into the failures leading to the October 7th, |
| 0:44.1 | 2023 assault. We will talk about some of the other headlines today. Top Hamas commander, |
| 0:50.8 | Rod Saad, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Saturday afternoon |
| 0:56.2 | that was reported by the IDF. We'll talk about this escalatory move and whether it was a response |
| 1:04.3 | to violations of a ceasefire by the terror group. Overall, what is the status of the ceasefire? |
| 1:10.6 | As well as U.S. President Donald Trump's latest vision |
| 1:13.7 | for Gaza and the postponement of an IDF strike in Lebanon. We'll also talk about some good news, |
| 1:21.2 | desalinated water in the Kinaret in the Sea of Galilee, and a new center for sea turtles. |
| 1:28.2 | Stay with us. |
| 1:34.0 | This episode is brought to you by the Jewish Communal Fund, |
| 1:37.8 | the largest and most active Jewish donor-advised fund in the country. |
| 1:42.4 | What is the donor-advised fund? |
| 1:46.0 | Think of it as a personal, |
| 1:51.7 | charitable investment account. You contribute assets now, receive an immediate tax deduction, |
| 1:58.4 | and then recommend grants to thousands of charities, Jewish and secular, on your own schedule. |
| 2:05.2 | JCF makes it simple to manage your philanthropy, maximize your tax efficiency, and ensure your giving reflects your values. |
| 2:08.3 | In fact, JCF fundholders granted over $1 billion to charities they care about in 2025 alone. |
... |
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