Day 74 - Hostage families split as new release deal may loom

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 74 of the war. Reporter Canaan Lidor and Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's podcast. Lidor attended the hostage families' rally last Saturday night in Tel Aviv, which occurred a day after the deadly accident that saw three hostages shot by the IDF in Gaza. He explains the development of political camps within the movement. In the hostage release deal, some 20 East Jerusalem residents of school age were set free. They are slated to rejoin the city’s education system on January 10, after the Christmas holidays marked in the city’s east. Pacchiani reports on concerns within the Jerusalem municipality. It’s been over 10 weeks since the October 7 massacre and most of the internally displaced Israelis from the Gaza envelope and the northern border are still in hotels and temporary housing. Lidor discusses some plans on the horizon. Until a couple of weeks ago, residents of the unrecognized Bedouin village, Umm al-Hiran located east of the Negev’s capital Beersheba, had no adequate protection against rocket fire from Gaza. What’s changed? Public Christmas celebrations have been canceled throughout the Holy Land. But Pacchiani spoke with one Santa in the Old City who is keeping up his traditions. “Israel in Egypt,” which was first performed in 1739 and references stories from the Hebrew Bible, is now off the program for a German choir's holiday concert. Lidor explains that this is part of a growing European phenomenon. For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Live blog December 19, 2023 Partisan divisions resurface at rival rallies for release of Gaza hostages Twenty released Palestinian inmates set to return to Jerusalem schools in January Unrecognized Bedouin village gets its first-ever rocket shelter, as war rages Citing Gaza war, prominent German choir drops Handel’s 1739 ‘Israel in Egypt’ song 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: Families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza have formed a tent city outside Tel Aviv's Hakirya Base, December 18, 2023. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.