Religious and Political Reactions in Israel

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 Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Intensive negotiations to potentially finalize the Trump peace plan are set for Monday in Egypt. Israel and Hamas are sending teams and US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are set to join with Arab mediators in what may be a final attempt to broker the agreement to release all Israeli hostages and end the almost two-year war in the Gaza Strip.

To begin the program, Magid fills us in on some of Hamas’s amendments to the 20-point deal. In its response to US President Donald Trump, the terror group overtly said it expects to be part of a "comprehensive Palestinian national framework" that discusses the future of the Gaza Strip, and will contribute to it with full responsibility." What does that mean for Israel's insistence that Hamas has no role in Gaza?

On Saturday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a cautiously optimistic statement that he hopes to see the hostages back home, “even during the Sukkot holiday,” which begins this week. The Israel Defense Forces was ordered to halt its offensive to capture Gaza City on Saturday after Trump said his Gaza truce plan was accepted by Hamas and called on Israel to stop bombing the Strip. We hear more about Netanyahu's statement and learn about a Friday phone call between the prime minister and the US president.

In another sign of public support for the peace plan, Chief Sephardic Rabbi David Yosef, at the start of a weekly homily delivered after the end of Shabbat, said Israelis “must pray that leaders make the right decisions.” Magid describes the careful steps that politicians such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir -- who oppose stopping the war -- are taking as they navigate the push-pull of public support and elections on the horizon.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

PM: Hopeful all hostages will be freed in days; Trump: I told Bibi, this is your victory

Full text: Hamas’s response to Trump plan for ending Gaza war, returning hostages

IDF strikes in Gaza City ‘significantly subside,’ but dozens said killed in past day

Ben Gvir threatens to bolt government if Hamas ‘continues to exist’ after hostages freed

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: IDF forces operate in the Gaza Strip in this October 3, 2025, handout photo. (IDF)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.