Day 378 - With Sinwar dead, US looks to renew hostage talks

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 Jessica Steinberg on today's podcast.

Magid discusses the different methods used to identify Sinwar's body and what can be seen about Sinwar in the drone footage taken at the scene just prior to the strike that killed him.

He reviews some of the reactions from the Biden administration, including calls made to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and various leaders in Qatar and Egypt in the hopes that Sinwar's death can shift the dynamic in the stalled hostage negotiations.

Magid talks about who could be the new Hamas leader with Sinwar gone and how extreme or hardline some of those successors could be compared to the Hamas leader killed in Gaza by IDF troops on Wednesday.

Magid also discusses the possibility of a more dialed-back response to the Iran attack on Israel on October 1, and looks at Israel letting aid into northern Gaza, with shipments from Jordan and other crossings reopened to allow aid to flow in more easily, after threats from the US administration to withhold arms deliveries.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

World leaders welcome Sinwar’s death, hope it will precipitate hostage deal, end to war

Oct. 17: Footage shows Sinwar hurling stick at IDF drone moments before he was killed

Israel lets 50 aid trucks into northern Gaza after US threat to curb arms deliveries

US gives Israel 30 days to address Gaza aid crisis, threatens to curb weapons supply

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: IDF soldiers carry the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar from the building where he was killed in Rafah, Gaza on October 17, 2024. (Courtesy)

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