The Monocle Daily: The Last 20 Living Hostages Held by Hamas in Gaza Return to Israel

Date: October 13, 2025
Host: Andrew Muller
Guests: Alena Hlivko (St. James Foreign Policy Group), Oscar Guardiola Rivera (Birkbeck College), Andrew Turval (Food Critic/Author)

Overview

This episode of The Monocle Daily centers on the landmark release of the last 20 living hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, the ensuing prisoner exchange, and the broader implications for peace in the Middle East. The episode also touches on Cuba's connection to the Ukraine conflict, the controversial Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corinna Machado, and quirky new approaches to opera in Italy. The discussion is rounded off by a deep dive into London’s culinary transformation in the 1990s.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Hostage-Prisoner Exchange in Gaza and Prospects for Peace

Summary:

• The last 20 living Israeli hostages were released by Hamas in Gaza after more than two years, exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
• The panel scrutinized whether this signals a true turning point in the region.
• The role of US President Donald Trump and broader political maneuverings were dissected, as was the potential volatility in Gaza and Israel’s future leadership.

Key Insights:

• Optimism at seeing guns quiet and hope for a “new Middle East,” tempered by awareness that deep-seated issues persist.
• Questions over the security vacuum in Gaza, the absence of a clear stabilizing force, and the rise of rival militant factions.
• Concerns about the fate of those not returned (28 deceased hostages) and how that might provoke renewed tensions.
• Criticism of the two-year delay—despite essentially the same ceasefire terms surfacing multiple times.

Notable Quotes:

• “As soon as the guns stop shooting and missiles stop flying, it's always a victory and it's always a positive result.”
  — Alena Hlivko [05:06]
• “The terms of this is fire... exactly the same as the terms of the ceasefire we had in last May, which Netanyahu dismissed... begs that question why it took so long. And you know, what was the point of all this carnage?”
  — Oscar Guardiola Rivera [07:46]
• “Every time the camera zeroed on Netanyahu, SILENCE, BOOS. I mean, it's palpable that people do hold him responsible and for good reason, obviously.”
  — Oscar Guardiola Rivera [11:38]

Timestamps:

• Hostage release/context: [04:07]
• Regional leadership changes, ceasefire history: [06:49]
• Political fallout for Netanyahu: [11:29]

2. The Role of Foreign Fighters in Ukraine and Russia (Including Cubans)

Summary:

• Reports of Cuban citizens fighting for Russia in Ukraine prompt heated denials from Havana.
• North Korean, Cuban, Nepalese, and various other foreign nationals reportedly conscripted (often unwillingly) into Russian ranks.
• Contrast between mercenaries fighting for money with Russia and volunteers joining Ukraine out of ideological support.

Key Insights:

• Foreign recruitment as a growing, troubling trend—termed an “industry” by Oscar.
• The dynamics of economic desperation driving people to sign up, then being coerced or tricked into frontline combat.
• The proliferation and potential future risks of combat training and drone warfare acquired in Ukraine being exported globally.

Notable Quotes:

• “It was extraordinary to see over the summer that even in North Korea, Kim Jong Un has officially recognized that North Korean troops were fighting in Ukraine, that they got killed... Cubans were reported to be fighting on Russian side since 2023...”
  — Alena Hlivko [13:27]
• “In Latin America, we know that this phenomenon, this is a new industry. There may be more Colombian mercenaries than Cubans fighting in Ukraine... these industries prey on people whose economic situation... means they will easily fall into this kind of trade.”
  — Oscar Guardiola Rivera [15:36]
• “Russia still pays way more than Ukraine is able to... when you go to invade another country and plunder civilians and rape children, whereas when you go to the other side to fight for the nation that is defending its territory, I think there is a difference.”
  — Alena Hlivko [18:35]

Timestamps:

• Cubans/North Koreans in Ukraine: [13:27]
• The ‘mercenary industry’: [15:36]
• Foreign volunteers for Ukraine: [17:10]

3. Nobel Peace Prize to María Corinna Machado and Venezuelan Politics

Summary:

• Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado receives the Nobel Peace Prize, sparking fury from President Nicolás Maduro.
• Machado dedicated her award to Donald Trump, fueling suspicions and criticism of her political alliances.
• Debate on whether the prize can drive genuine democratic transition or further polarize the opposition.

Key Insights:

• Machado’s right-leaning stance and alignment with Trump perceived as divisive both within and outside Venezuela.
• The significance and limitations of the Nobel Peace Prize as a shield or catalyst for political change.
• The ongoing militarization near Venezuela’s borders adds complexity to the region’s instability.

Notable Quotes:

• “As many observers in Latin America have pointed out, the fact that the first thing Maria Corinna Machado did was not to dedicate the prize to the Venezuelan people, but to Donald Trump... actually boosts the case that Maduro tends to make within Venezuela that his opponents are in cahoots with a Trump administration...”
  — Oscar Guardiola Rivera [19:42]
• “I think it was a very smart political statement. But whether it will actually contribute to change in the country, I'm not sure.”
  — Alena Hlivko [22:38]
• “It is the possibility that the prize protects leaders like her, people like her, and that she will choose to become a rallying point for unity. That's the dilemma she's facing now.”
  — Oscar Guardiola Rivera [24:28]

Timestamps:

• Prize announcement and reaction: [18:57]
• Debate on impact and intentions: [19:42], [22:38]
• Whether the prize improves her safety/opposition unity: [24:28]

4. Saunas + Opera: The New Trend

Summary:

• Quirky Italian trend: watching live opera performances in thermal baths for “maximized emotion.”
• Panelists debate the merit (and Instagram-friendliness) of the idea, comparing it to other odd social media–driven fads.

Notable Quotes:

• “I love the sound of water dripping on the stones. I don't want that mixed with my Puccini.”
  — Oscar Guardiola Rivera [27:19]
• “Opera should probably be confined to opera houses and DJs should just not be allowed anywhere under any circumstances.”
  — Andrew Muller [27:07]

Timestamps:

• Introduction of the trend: [25:05]
• Panelist reactions: [26:01]–[27:49]

5. London’s Food Revolution: An Interview with Andrew Turval

Summary:

• Interview with Andrew Turval about his book “Blood, Sweat and Asparagus Spears,” chronicling London’s transformation from culinary backwater in the 1980s to a global food destination in the 1990s.
• Discussion on the rise of the celebrity chef (Marco Pierre White as a turning point), and how British chefs transformed the country’s dining landscape.
• The impact of social media on food culture and the democratization of culinary authority.

Key Insights:

• French chefs trained a new generation that embraced local produce and innovation.
• The 1990s were a time of radical change, with young chefs bringing energy and new attitudes to the scene.
• Social media has demystified chef celebrity, offering anyone with a following a chance at influence.

Notable Quotes:

• “It was a very kind of slightly predictable dining scene. And when I started to write the book, it dawned on me what an exciting time I was at the Good Food Guide in the 1990s. What amazing things had actually happened and how food eating in the UK really came of age in that decade.”
  — Andrew Turval [28:29]
• “Marco Pierre White… is kind of the godfather of our modern restaurant culture, really.... When you get those two things together (mastery and image), it changes everything.”
  — Andrew Turval [30:39]
• “Social media... it's kind of reflects in a way the kind of the death of the expert, doesn't it, in a way? And the chefs are kind of like the ultimate. The professional chef in the kitchen is like the ultimate food expert. But if we see something that we like on Instagram, we'll follow it. If we like their food, we'll try it.”
  — Andrew Turval [33:56]

Timestamps:

• Culinary revolution context: [28:29]
• The role of Marco Pierre White: [30:27]–[31:20]
• Shifts in celebrity chef culture & effects of social media: [32:30]–[34:36]

Memorable Moments

• “If you're with Putin, I think you resorted to a very small room. And if not, best case scenario, you were just exposed to Russian propaganda and lecturing of fake history by President Putin. We all know that he indulges in that.”
  — Alena Hlivko [09:26]
• “I love sauna. I love having my time there. Among other reasons. Why? Because if you're but naked, no place for the telephones, you have to leave it outside. Everybody should try that.”
  — Oscar Guardiola Rivera [27:30]

Conclusion

The episode balances sobering analysis of major international events with lighter, cultural stories and personal reflections. The tone is lively, sharp, and at times irreverent, true to Monocle’s style. The panelists offer a critical and nuanced look into the news, underscoring that even moments of hope are often beset by deep uncertainties—whether in Gaza, Ukraine, or Venezuela—and that culture, whether food or opera, is both a lens for and a respite from the complexities of the modern world.