meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The World

The remains of 4 hostages are returned to Israel in latest ceasefire trade

The World

PRX

News, Lethaldissent

4.6943 Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Hamas and Israel continued their prisoner-for-hostage exchanges as part of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, but on Thursday, the hostages released to Israel were already dead. Hamas claims they were killed by Israeli airstrikes while they were in captivity, which Israeli officials have not denied. The occasion was a somber shift in tone for the hostage releases, which are usually days of relief and celebration in Israel. Also, on Wednesday, in Paris, European leaders held another round of emergency talks focused on how to bolster the continent’s defense capabilities and support Ukraine’s fight against Russia. The continent is worried about how to defend itself in a world with fewer security guarantees from NATO ally the US. Also, a German court rules that Birkenstocks are not art that can be copyrighted. Hear about the history and aesthetic of the beloved, ugly, centuries-old German footwear. And, the story of the Latvian film "Flow," about animals banding together to survive a flood, which is up for an Oscar.

Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

On October 3rd, 1980, a bomb was detonated outside a synagogue on Copernic Street in Paris.

0:06.0

Three decades later, French investigators finally identified a suspect in the case.

0:11.0

A Lebanese Canadian sociology professor, living a quiet life on the outskirts of Ottawa, Canada.

0:17.0

Is Hassan Zyab guilty?

0:19.0

Can you introduce yourself? Or is the escapego?

0:22.1

Hassan Diab. From Canada land, this is the Copernic affair. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

0:35.1

Hostages who died in captivity have been returned to Israel.

0:38.6

It's like losing the last glimpse of hope that we had, that maybe everything was going to be all right.

0:45.0

I'm Marco Werman. Today, the mood in Israel as the loss sinks in.

0:49.0

And in Ukraine, ordinary people now feel they're fighting on two fronts.

0:52.7

We wake up in the morning and we see that we've been attacked by 170 Russian drones.

0:59.0

And then we read how many lies have been told in microphones in very high places.

1:07.0

Also tourists can visit North Korea again, but they won't get the uncensored view.

1:11.6

Every single individual in North Korea does not Kim Jong-un is subjected to techniques to ensure obedience.

1:18.7

Plus, Bergensock says their shoes are art. A German court says no. Today, here on the world.

1:34.3

This is the world. I'm Marco Wurman. Carolyn Beeler is away. Thanks for being here on this Thursday. Today, Hamas and Israel made another hostage for prisoners exchange. This one was different, a somber

1:39.7

moment because it was the remains of four deceased hostages that were returned to Israel.

1:49.5

Israeli officials say they will verify the identity of those hostages based on their remains.

1:54.8

People gathered in a plaza in Tel Aviv that's known as Hostage Square to commemorate the transfer of those bodies today.

1:56.6

Shira Kadari Ovadi is a reporter with Haarets and was there among those families and supporters today.

2:02.2

The four dead captives that were returned today are Shiri Bibas and her children, Ariel, who was four years old at the time, and Kfir, who was only nine months old, as well as Odette Lifshitz, who was 83 years old. And they were all kidnapped

2:21.4

from near Oz, a kibbutz, that was hit very hard during the attack on October 7th.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from PRX, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of PRX and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.