We begin with a clip of the Hamas chief in Gaza—Khalil al-Hayya, speaking Wednesday night in Doha after Hamas signed off on the proposed hostage deal. We have included a link to the video with English subtitles in the Podcast Notes, below. What he is saying, in short, is that October 7 was a glorious beginning and that Hamas will continue the struggle until all occupied lands and Jerusalem are liberated. Meaning, of course, that Hamas will continue to fight until it destroys Israel. Meanwhile, the Israeli cabinet has not yet convened to vote on the proposed agreement and may never do so. Things are looking precarious as I write this at 3:20 pm on the afternoon of Thursday, January 16. This podcast interview was recorded late this morning with State of Tel Aviv regular Jonathan Conricus, senior FDD fellow, former IDF spokesperson, and sought-after speaker and media commentator. We get into the nuts and bolts of this proposed deal as we wait to see what transpires. Listen in.

We also have a full audiovisual version of this podcast available on our YouTube channel. Here’s the link if you would prefer to watch and listen there.

Wherever you choose to watch or listen, please like our work, ring the bell on YouTube, comment, and do the works. We’re a feisty little independent outlet, and your support helps us with the algorithms. This is the way of the world now.

Thanks for tuning in.

Podcast Notes

Video clip of Hamas Chief in Gaza recorded on Wednesday night, January 15, shortly after Hamas signed off on the hostage agreement.

State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe