Day 99 - Why Saudis are 'absolutely' interested in Israel deal

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.

Today is day 99 of the war. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for this one-on-one episode.

Families of hostages are holding 24 hours of non-stop awareness-raising events to mark 100 days of captivity by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Last night, the Prime Minister’s Office announced in a statement that an agreement has been reached that will see vital medications delivered to hostages, via the International Red Cross. What has changed that is allowing this gesture of "semi-good will"?

Early today, the US military struck another Houthi-controlled site in Yemen that it had determined was putting commercial vessels in the Red Sea at risk, a day after the US and Britain launched multiple airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels. While at a Pennsylvania bookstore on Friday, President Joe Biden was asked by the traveling press pool whether he thinks the Houthis are a terrorist organization, despite delisting them in his first year in office. “I think they are,” he said. What’s happening there?

We learned last week that technical conversations between the US and Saudi Arabia about a potential normalization agreement with Israel have continued amid the Israel-Hamas war, according to two senior US officials and a senior Arab diplomat. Magid tells us more.

For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Live blog January 13, 2024

Vital medications to be transferred to Gaza hostages in coming days, PM’s office says

US hits Houthi radar site in fresh strike after threats to Red Sea shipping

Biden calls Houthis a terror group, as administration weighs reapplying designation

Biden: I’m quietly working with Israel to ‘significantly’ lower IDF presence in Gaza

Saudi normalization still possible post-war, but price for Israel is higher — officials

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

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IMAGE: File: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) during a Likud party meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 13, 2021; Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left) speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 14, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90; Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.