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.

Reporter Amy Spiro joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

With the release home of hostage and surveillance soldier Agam Berger, followed by the terrifying mayhem surrounding the release of hostages Arbel Yehoud, Gadi Mozes and the five Thai hostages, Spiro discusses Israel's delay of the release of Palestinian prisoners, and its demand to Hamas to guarantee safe passage in the release of future hostages.

Spiro reviews what is known about the release of the Thai hostages, Pongsak Thenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Watchara Sriaoun, Bannawat Seathao, and Surasak Lamnau, and reactions from the Thai Embassy.

US President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff was in Israel yesterday, meeting with some of the released hostages and in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square and Spiro discusses his central role in the ongoing ceasefire and his meetings with some of the more right-wing partners of the coalition government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is traveling to the US next week to meet with Trump, amid the ceasefire talks, and Spiro talks about expectations for those negotiations.

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

Discussed articles include:

‘We’ll never leave you again’: Families meet freed hostages after 15 months of agony

Furious over ‘shocking scenes’ of hostage handover, Israel delays release of prisoners

Surveillance soldiers all finally home: Agam Berger’s return closes one horrific Oct. 7 chapter

In Thailand, families of hostages weep with joy upon news of their release from Gaza

Working through the trauma, Thai farmhands who survived Oct. 7 return to the fields

Zakaria Zubeidi among terrorists to get heroes’ welcome as Israel frees 110 prisoners

Witkoff meets freed soldiers, ex-hostages, officials, stresses commitment to full 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: Arbel Yehoud, center, with her parents and siblings on an IDF helicopter after being freed from captivity on January 30, 2025. (Courtesy)

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