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.

It is day 251 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told CNN that nobody in the organization knows how many of the 116 remaining hostages kidnapped on October 7 are still alive. Magid dives into what else he said, including Hamas's stance on the ongoing hostage release negotiations.

US President Joe Biden said Thursday said he doesn’t expect a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza to be reached in the near future, saying Hamas needs to shift its position closer to Israel’s US-backed proposal on the table. Is the US losing patience?

On Thursday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tweeted that he signed an order to transfer some NIS 130 million ($35 million) of tax funds Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to victims of terror. The issue of the PA frozen funds apparently came up during Sect. of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week. Magid explains potential fallout of a West Bank pushed over the brink.

A poll released Wednesday found rising support for the Hamas terror group among Palestinians, both in the West Bank and in Gaza. Magid delves into the poll, which was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) between May 26 and June 1.

For more updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Top Hamas official: Nobody has any clue how many hostages still alive

Biden says Hamas needs ‘to move’ on truce deal, blaming terror group for hold-up

Smotrich says he transferred $35 million in PA funds to terror victims

US official: Netanyahu refusal to release PA tax funds due to pressure from right

Poll: Support for Hamas on the rise among Palestinians, now double Fatah’s

THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel

THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown

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: Students of Birzeit University in the West Bank chant slogans during a protest in support of Gaza on June 10, 2024. (Zain Jaafar / AFP)

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