Day 409 - Pope labels Israel's actions 'immoral,' calls for probe

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 joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US envoy Amos Hochstein will travel to the Lebanese capital Beirut tomorrow for talks on a ceasefire between the Hezbollah terror group and Israel. We’ll hear Berman's assessment of the chances of success in these talks.

Last night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted an emergency meeting on efforts to free hostages held in Gaza with a select group of ministers and the top security brass, who had reportedly planned to tell the forum that agreeing to end the war with Hamas was the only way to reach a deal to free the captives. Berman describes a few "wild card" ideas that could potentially force some movement in the negotiations.

Even as senior members of Hamas’s leadership abroad left Qatar last week for Turkey, President Isaac Herzog reportedly canceled his planned visit to the United Nations COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, because Turkey refused to allow the Israeli state airplane, Wing of Zion, to fly though its airspace. We speak about how unusual it is for Turkey to deny passage to a figure of Herzog's stature.

Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released Sunday from an upcoming new book ahead of the pontiff’s jubilee year. It’s the first time that Francis has openly urged an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. How seriously should Israel take these comments in light of the some 1.3 billion baptized Catholics around the world?

Senator John Thune said Sunday that the US must pass legislation threatening the International Criminal Court with sanctions if it seeks arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other Israeli officials, noting that the House has already passed sanctions legislation on a bipartisan basis. With the clock ticking at the ICC, could these efforts have an effect?

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

Discussed articles include:

Hezbollah media chief killed in IDF strike on central Beirut

Stance on ending war must soften for hostage deal, security chiefs said to tell PM

Hamas officials booted by Qatar last week, now hosted in Turkey, diplomat says

Herzog canceled trip to climate confab because Turkey barred him from airspace — report

Pope calls for probe into whether Israel is committing ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Incoming Senate majority leader threatens ICC with sanctions over case against Israelis

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: Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, November 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

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