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.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid and Tech Israel editor Sharon Wrobel join host Jessica Steinberg on today's episode.

Magid discusses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday, as well as the talks the two leaders held with families of US hostages, who expressed some hope for the first time in months, regarding the possibility for an imminent hostage deal.

Magid also reviews the prime minister's meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and her remarks to the press afterwards, during which she emphasized the suffering in Gaza, comments that the Prime Minister's Office said could harm chances for a deal.

Wrobel talks about Israeli software platform Cyabra, which tracks fake users and accounts on social media to root out disinformation, and plans to list its shares on Nasdaq.

Wrobel also discusses new defense technologies that have emerged during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, and the group of Texas-based and Israeli entrepreneurs that raised funds to invest in Israeli early-stage defense tech startups, particularly from Texas, a US state that remains friendly toward Israel.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Biden, Harris tell Netanyahu it’s time to seal hostage deal as families turn hopeful

Ahead of Netanyahu-Trump meet, official says they spoke July 4 for 1st time in years

Harris: I won’t stay silent on Gaza suffering; Israel: Her words harm chances for deal

Harris blasts ‘hate-fueled’ anti-Israel protests where US flag and PM effigy burned, Hamas hailed

Israeli AI startup tracking fake news plans to list on Nasdaq at $70 million valuation

New $50 million Texas fund to scout for battle-tested Israeli defense tech

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. 

IMAGE: Jonathan Dekel-Chen, center, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen, along with other families of hostages in Gaza, speaks with reporters following their meeting with President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)