Day 800 - Ceasefire tensions escalate after top Hamas commander is killed

24 snips

Dec 14, 2025

Guest

Sue Surkes

Guest

Lazar Berman

Join diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman, who's a whiz on Middle East affairs, and environmental reporter Sue Surkes, known for her insights on water policy. Berman dives into the fallout from the IDF's strike on Hamas commander Raad Saad and the complex dynamics of a potential ceasefire with Hezbollah's tensions looming. Meanwhile, Surkes reveals groundbreaking efforts to desalinate water for the Sea of Galilee and the innovative sea turtle rescue program that aims to protect these ancient creatures, ensuring they thrive for generations to come.

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INSIGHT

Major Leadership Blow To Hamas

Killing Raad Saad removes one of Hamas’s top commanders and weakens its military leadership in Gaza.
Lazar Berman says the strike was significant and had been attempted before, marking a major operational success for Israel.

INSIGHT

Second Phase Depends On Disarmament

Moving to the ceasefire’s second phase hinges on returning the last slain hostage and disarming Hamas.
Berman warns the international security force and donor commitments are unlikely to be sufficient to fully disarm Hamas.

ADVICE

Clarify Roles For Any International Force

Countries offering troops want them deployed where Israel controls, limiting engagement with Hamas.
Expect mediators and Israel to negotiate troop roles carefully before any international force is accepted.

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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

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: 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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