The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 14th, 2025: Gaza Ceasefire Reaches Final Stages & DC Braces For Trump's Historic Inauguration
Tue, 14 Jan 2025
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, we’ll have the latest on the elusive ceasefire in Gaza, as reports indicate that a tentative agreement between Israel and Hamas is imminent after more than 15 months of fighting. Then, we’ll have a preview of the preparations being made to secure our nation’s capital for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, which is expected to draw more than 250,000 visitors. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the latest on the Gaza ceasefire?
Thanks, Mike. It is Tuesday, 14 January 2025. Welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Slater from the podcast Politics by Faith and SiriusXM Patriot filling in for Mike Baker. Today, we'll have the latest on the elusive ceasefire in Gaza, as reports indicate that a tentative agreement between Israel and Hamas is imminent after more than 15 months of fighting.
Later in the show, we'll have a preview of the preparations being made to secure our nation's capital for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on Monday. But first, today's afternoon spotlight.
In the latest Israel-Hamas negotiations, a potential breakthrough as the terror group has reportedly accepted a draft agreement for a three-phase ceasefire aimed at ending the 15-month conflict in Gaza. Mediators described this as the closest point yet to securing a deal that would ensure the release of dozens of hostages prior to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed agreement on Tuesday, which Egyptian and Hamas officials confirmed, while an Israeli official indicated progress despite ongoing finalizations. This draft agreement, rooted in a framework established by the Biden administration and endorsed by the U.N.
Security Council, has been under negotiation by the mediators, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, for over a year. If a deal is reached, it would not be immediate. Its implementation would hinge on approval by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet.
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Chapter 2: What does the draft agreement for the ceasefire include?
But the first phase of the agreement, set to last 42 days, would involve the release of 33 hostages, among them women, children, elderly individuals, and wounded civilians, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including terrorists who are serving life sentences. Notably, five female Israeli soldiers would be exchanged for 50 Palestinian prisoners each. You heard that right.
Five female Israeli soldiers for 50 Palestinian prisoners each. Israeli intelligence believes most of the 33 hostages are alive, though their condition remains uncertain. critical concern.
Now, during this initial phase, Israeli forces would withdraw from what's called the Netrezim Corridor, the region facilitating travel between the territories north and south, while maintaining strategic control over areas like the Philadelphia Corridor, despite Hamas's initial demands for a complete withdrawal. The Philadelphia Corridor is the area along the border of Gaza and Egypt.
Israel says, yeah, we're going to keep control over that. Thank you very much. At the same time, the first phase outlines plans for displaced Palestinians to return to the remnants of their homes, supported by an influx of humanitarian aid, up to 600 trucks daily, to address acute shortages that have left nearly 90% of Gaza's residents displaced.
Chapter 3: How are hostages being considered in the ceasefire negotiations?
It's important to note that details of the second phase must still be negotiated during the first phase. The agreement does not include guarantees that the ceasefire will continue until a deal is reached allowing Israel to continue its military campaign.
According to the draft, the second phase envisions the release of the remaining hostages, primarily the male soldiers, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners and a, quote, complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third phase introduces the potential for a long-term rebuilding, proposing the return of deceased hostages' remains in exchange for a three- to five-year internationally supervised reconstruction plan for Gaza. This plan hinges on resolving governance issues as mediators seek to prevent Hamas from retaining control post-war.
The Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, who's the Secretary of State for like five more days, is presenting a comprehensive plan for Gaza's future governance today, emphasizing international oversight. Now, despite the fraud dynamics, officials expressed guarded optimism that a deal can be finalized before President-elect Donald Trump's 20 January inauguration.
Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, intensified the push for a resolution with negotiations in Doha taking on new urgency in recent days. Again, as we talked about last night, mostly because of Donald Trump saying, if you don't release the hostages by Monday, then you will have hell to pay.
A Qatari foreign minister spokesman described the talks as productive, stating, quote, today, we are at the closest point ever to having a deal. Trump, in an interview with Newsmax, suggested that a ceasefire was, quote, very close.
Coming up next, we'll have a preview of the security preparations being made for the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, which is expected to draw more than 250,000 supporters, maybe a couple protesters. More on that after the break.
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Chapter 4: What are the security preparations for Trump's inauguration?
Local and federal officials unveiled the security plans for the ceremony at a press conference yesterday. And while they said they've not received any specific threats against the president-elect or the city at this time, they are prepared for the worst.
Chapter 5: What is the significance of the upcoming inauguration?
In addition to the attempts on Trump's life during the campaign, the nation's still on edge from the New Year's Day Islamic terrorist attack in New Orleans and the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas. Those events informed security for the January 6th electoral count and former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral last week, which both went smoothly.
Officials with the Secret Service's Washington field office said that such a dense calendar of high-profile events before the inauguration was exceedingly rare, but said their teams had stepped up and adapted to the unprecedented situation. They called the inauguration, quote, the third leg of our Triple Crown.
But with nearly a quarter of a million ticketed guests due to attend the inauguration ceremony at a time of historically intense political divisions, anxieties remain high. U.S. Capitol Police Chief James Manger said that the greatest risks are posed by lone wolves among the sprawling crowd.
He pointed to two incidents last week on Capitol Hill where people sought to disrupt congressional proceedings with potentially violent acts. One man was arrested attempting to bring knives and a machete into the Capitol building just hours before Trump was set to meet with Senate Republicans.
Another was arrested while attempting to light a car on fire outside the Capitol while Trump was attending former President Carter's funeral. Chief Manger warned, quote, The biggest threat, I think, for all of us remains the lone actor. That threat remains the biggest justification for us being at this heightened state of alert throughout the next week.
Officials are also preparing for widespread protests in the days leading up to the ceremony. A coalition of protest groups has already announced plans for what they're calling the People's March on Saturday to object to Trump's victory. The coalition includes activists from Planned Parenthood, the National Women's Law Center, Abortion Access Now, and the Women's March.
Other protests are expected the day of the inauguration, and city officials said they would ensure the demonstrators' right to peacefully protest to make sure that's not infringed. Still, they added that any acts of violence or attempts to stoke conflict will be dealt with quickly by authorities. Washington, D.C.
Police Chief Pamela Smith said, I want to reiterate, as I always have, that violence, destruction, and unlawful behavior will not be tolerated. Offenders will face swift and decisive consequences. As a side note, Carrie Underwood will be singing America the Beautiful. And I was talking to the chair of the Republican Party, Michael Watley, earlier today.
And he said, the village people will be making an appearance as well. That marks the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Tuesday, 14 January. If you have any questions, you can reach out to us at pdbatthefirsttv.com. My Twitter and Instagram is Slater Radio. To listen to the show ad-free, you can become a premium member. of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com.
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