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Podcast: North Star with Ellin Bessner
Episode: How Israel is preparing to get the hostages back beginning Sunday
Description: The Israeli government has begun preparations to ratify a deal that would begin releasing some of the remaining 98 hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. In exchange, they plan to enact a ceasefire with Hamas and free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Already, lists are circulating around the media of which hostages will be released first—women, children and seniors are taking priority—while Israeli hospitals and trauma centres are preparing to receive them, after they spent 467 days in captivity in Gaza.
But, unlike the last brief ceasefire and hostage deal in Nov. 2023, this one likely won’t have news media on the...