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.

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode from the Jerusalem office.

The IDF announced the launch of limited raids into southern Lebanon late on Monday night against Hezbollah forces and infrastructure positioned along Israel’s northern border. We discuss the strategy here and whether this is a formal declaration of war even as the IDF’s 98th Division, an elite formation of paratrooper and commando units, conducted an overnight ground operation.

Yesterday, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the Lebanese government is ready to fully implement a UN resolution that had aimed to end Hezbollah’s armed presence south of the Litani River. We ask, what does it mean for Israel to have a weak state on its border and is it time for the west to bolster it?

The Biden administration appears to express its support for the raids that the IDF began conducting late Monday night during a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Berman weighs in.

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

Discussed articles include:

IDF announces launch of limited ground raids on Hezbollah sites across Lebanon border

Israel says ‘next phase’ beginning in Lebanon, amid global pleas against a ground op

Lebanese PM says willing to deploy army south of Litani River, fully implement UN resolution

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

IMAGE: Israeli soldiers work on tanks in a staging area in northern Israel near the Israel-Lebanon border, October 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

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