About this episode
Two years on from October 7th, Donald Trump is on the cusp of brokering a fragile peace deal between Israel and Hamas. But with Hamas showing signs of reconstituting itself and Israeli forces still in control of much of the Strip, few believe the war is truly over.
In this episode, we hear from The Telegraph’s Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin, fresh from an Israeli army embed inside Gaza City, about what he saw on the ground and why Hamas’s resilience could shape what comes next.
Venetia also speaks to Dalia Horn, whose brother-in-law Eitan Horn is one of around twenty hostages believed to be alive in Gaza out of the 48 not yet released.
Plus, Sophia Yan catches up again with two close friends from the Oasis of Peace — one Jewish Israeli, one Palestinian — who she has spoken to throughout the conflict about their friendship and whether they still believe in the two-state solution.
► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor
Read Henry’s dispatch: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/04/inside-gaza-city-idf-face-younger-braver-hamas/
Read El Sharabi’s book extract: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/04/eli-sharabi-hamas-hostage-book-extract-2/
Listen to Sophia’s previous conversations with the best friends:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/02/14/battle-lines-israel-oasis-of-peace-palestine/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/09/israels-oasis-of-peace-one-year-later/
Contact us with feedback or ideas:
@venetiarainey
@RolandOliphant
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Get every episode summarized
Each time Battle Lines publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Battle Lines
I went to the Strait of Hormuz. This is why Trump can’t defeat Iran’s mosquito f...
Battle Lines
‘A bunch of losers with no power’: Why Iran’s hardliners won’t win
Battle Lines
The true cost of America’s hidden missile crisis & why US-Iran talks are deadloc...
Battle Lines
‘Trump is wrong - Iran’s regime is not split over this war’
Battle Lines