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

As the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon continues to basically hold, this morning, Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said he will leave Tehran for Damascus to deliver a message of support for Syria’s government and armed forces after a lightning advance by rebels. Berman breaks down the Syrian rebellion, part two, and the potential spillover ramifications for Israel.

Iran sees the days-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as a chance to rebuild the Lebanon-based terror organization, as well as its welfare and political wings. Berman weighs in.

The Hamas terror group on Saturday released a propaganda video showing signs of life from hostage Edan Alexander, 20, in the first video of its kind in months. Also yesterday, Hamas said it was open to discussing “all ideas and proposals,” a senior official from the Palestinian terror group told AFP, as representatives arrived in Cairo on Saturday for talks with Egyptian negotiators on a possible hostage-ceasefire deal in Gaza. We hear about other remarks of this nature and what they may signify.

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

Discussed articles include:

Syrian military says dozens of soldiers killed in major Islamist attack on Aleppo

Iran ‘firmly supports’ Assad as top envoy travels to Damascus after rebel attacks

Iran sees ceasefire as a chance to take stock and rebuild Hezbollah – report

Hamas says open to ‘all ideas and proposals’ ahead of hostage-truce talks in Cairo

In Hamas propaganda video, hostage Edan Alexander pleads with Trump to push for deal

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: Anti-government fighters pose for a picture on a tank on the road leading to Maaret al-Numan in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on November 30, 2024. (Muhammad Haj Kadour / AFP)

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