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. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. On Saturday, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari stated in a podcast that the issue of the two remaining bodies of hostages -- taken to Gaza on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas onslaught on southern Israel -- is allowing Israel to potentially delay the next phase of the Trump peace plan. Horovitz weighs in on the readiness of both sides to move forward. Yesterday, six years after he was indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a 111-page formal pardon request to President Isaac Herzog, seeking an end to his long-running and unprecedented corruption trial. We remind listeners of the charges against the premier and the very public intervention by US President Donald Trump on his behalf. Netanyahu claims that ending his trials may help heal Israel -- but could it instead cause a greater rift? Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Dror Or of Kibbutz Be’eri, beloved father and cheesemaker, buried alongside his wife Qatar says Hamas failure to return last two slain hostages can’t ‘obstruct’ Gaza plan Netanyahu requests presidential pardon in corruption trial; doesn’t admit guilt What to know about Netanyahu’s request for a pardon in his corruption trial Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and President Isaac Herzog, right, attend a wreath-laying ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem, Israel, May 6, 2024. (Amir Cohen/Pool Photo via AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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