As we mark the 500th day of the war in Gaza, and 500 days of captivity for the Israeli hostages who remain there, the future of this fragile ceasefire-hostage deal is looking increasingly less stable.

In the 16 months since October 7th, the leader who knows more than almost anyone about the inner workings of this war has barely been heard from – until now. 

President Trump’s dramatic and unprecedented press conference on Gaza, suggesting U.S. control and some form of relocation of its residents, has immediately shifted the conversation beyond the default two-state framework. In this episode, we break down how the Israeli public is reacting to Trump’s proposal, what it means for Netanyahu’s political standing, and the implications for the ceasefire and the hostage deal negotiations.

Yesterday, in a dramatic and unexpected press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump called for a U.S. takeover of Gaza, and to relocate its two million Palestinian residents to alternative countries. President Trump also issued a series of executive orders impacting Israel and the Middle East, including one imposing maximum pressure on Iran.

As Israelis welcome home more hostages after 15 months in Hamas captivity, we sat down with Nadav Eyal to discuss what their stories reveal about their captivity, their role in Israel’s national healing process, and the broader implications for Israeli society.

As Israelis continue to observe the implementation of the hostage deal, we sat down with Walter Russell Mead for a conversation about U.S. foreign policy under the new Trump administration.

Over the past couple of weeks, our focus on “Call Me Back” has been on the hostage deal and its implications. Today Amit Segal returns to the podcast to discuss the perspective of those inside Israel opposed to this deal.

Today, we are taking a step back to discuss many of the new opportunities across the landscape for the U.S. and Israel, as a new president takes office.

On Sunday evening in Israel, after 471 days in captivity, three hostages — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher — were released from Gaza and returned home to Israel, as a ceasefire in Gaza went into effect.

After fifteen months of war, and months of on-again, off-again negotiations, Israel and Hamas have reached a hostage deal, which is set to take effect this upcoming Sunday.

As we wait in anticipation of a hostage deal, we welcome President Trump’s incoming National Security Adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, to the podcast, to discuss the possible hostage deal, and his thoughts on the U.S.-Israel relationship.

The collapse of Assad’s regime in Syria has created a new geopolitical reality, in which Turkey has emerged as a dominant regional power, both militarily and diplomatically.

Yesterday in Washington D.C., former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s funeral service was held at the National Cathedral.

A few days ago, we all learned of new details and viewed footage from one of Israel's most high-risk and complex commando operations.

An investigative report recently published by the New York Times delves into how deeply Israeli intelligence had penetrated Hezbollah ranks.

Examining the ethics of Israel’s response to Hamas and unpacking the NYT investigation with Yossi Klein Halevi.

On thousands of street corners in Israel today, there are banners that read: “bring the hostages back from the darkness.” It’s excruciating to think that this is the second Hanukkah since October 7th with hostages still in Gaza. 

Over the past week, we have seen headline after headline, indicating that Israel and Hamas appear to be closer than ever to a ceasefire and hostage deal.