Episode description

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.

Political correspondent Sam Sokol and reporter Diana Bletter join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Sokol discusses the variety of reactions from Knesset members to the remarks made by US President Donald Trump suggesting the relocation of Gazans from the Strip during the expected long reconstruction period. He looks at the predictably pleased statements from the far-right flank of the government, including former national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and the more guarded comments of Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and National Unity party leader Benny Gantz.

Bletter reports on her trips to several northern villages, where residents are waiting to see if the ceasefire with Hezbollah will hold. Her visit to Alawite village Ghajar, the Jewish town of Mattat and the Druze village of Hurfeish left her with an impression of residents eager to return to regular life but unsure as to what the future may hold.

Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates.

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.

For further reading:

Ben Gvir says he’ll return to government if PM implements Trump’s Gaza transfer plan

Smotrich says he supports Saudi normalization, but not if it means ending war

Lapid: We need to ‘study the details to understand’ Trump’s plan for Gaza

Gantz welcomes Trump’s Gaza comments: ‘Creative, original and interesting thinking’

‘Fear is now in our DNA’: With pause in Hezbollah attacks, two border towns regroup

As Alawite village on Israel-Lebanon border reopens, locals fear for relatives in Syria

IMAGE: Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip via Rashid Street located on the sea, on February 5, 2025 (Photo by Ali Hassan/Flash90)

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