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 Daily Briefing updates, followed by the weekly Friday Focus, The Times of Israel's newest podcast series. Each Friday, catch Berman and Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Slain hostages Oded Lifshitz, and brothers Ariel and Kfir Bibas, were identified after their remains were returned to Israel by Hamas on Thursday but the military said another body sent by the terror group was not the young boys’ mother Shiri Silberman Bibas. We learn more about the fates of the young boys and what have been official Israel’s reactions so far.

Three empty buses exploded in quick succession in parking lots in the Tel Aviv suburbs of Bat Yam and Holon on Thursday night in what police said was a suspected terror attack. There were no injuries reported in the incidents. Police said they neutralized two other unexploded devices on buses nearby. Berman fills us in with what we know about who may be the perpetrators.

On the Friday Focus, ahead of the three-year mark of the ongoing Ukraine war, Berman assesses how the potential winding down of the conflict is stirring up all sorts of other battles on the international stage.

We discuss the origins of the current Russo-Ukraine war and the competing narratives surrounding it, even as Israel attempts to trod on semi-neutral ground.

Finally, we hear how US President Donald Trump views the conflict that is occurring far from his borders, and his country's "obligation" to fund it.

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:

Remains ID’d of Oded Lifshitz, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, but other body isn’t the boys’ mom Shiri

3 buses explode in Bat Yam, Holon in suspected strategically planned terror attack

IMAGE: This combination of pictures created on February 20, 2025 shows posters bearing the portraits of Israeli hostages Shiri Bibas (C) and her two children Ariel (L) and Kfir (R), held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, set up on a square outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, on January 21, 2025 (AFP)

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