Day 15 of war - Two freed hostages offer glimmer of good news

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid and reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. We have closed two weeks of war here in Israel, war that erupted with Hamas’s October 7 massacre, which saw some 2,500 terrorists burst across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air and sea. They killed some 1,400 people, the vast majority civilians from all walks of life, including entire families. The IDF has identified some 210 hostages so far, of all ages.But two were freed last night into Egypt. Magid fills us in. The first 20 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza on Saturday through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. These trucks moved into the Strip amid continued rocket fire toward southern and central Israel. We hear first of all who is sending the aid. Finally, Jacob, you reported yesterday that a group of Israeli soldiers and settlers allegedly carried out a ruthless assault on three Palestinians in the central West Bank last week, days after the Hamas terror group’s October 7 onslaught in southern Israel. Has there been official confirmation of this alleged heinous attack? Lidor describes the plight of hundreds of Israeli farmers from the Gaza envelope as supermarket shelves are empty. For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Live blog October 21, 2023 Hamas releases two hostages, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan 1st aid trucks enter Gaza as number of confirmed hostages held in Strip reaches 210 IDF, settlers allegedly bind, strip, beat, burn, urinate on 3 Palestinians in W. Bank For Israeli farmers near Gaza, damage may be temporary but long-term crisis looms 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 Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. IMAGE: This handout picture courtesy of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem, taken on October 20, 2023, shows Natalie Raanan (L) and her mother Judith Raanan speaking on the phone with US President Joe Biden, after they were held hostage and later released by the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group. (US Embassy in Jerusalem/AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.