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.

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

As the war continues on the ground in Gaza and in Lebanon, we learn how the IDF is overtly taking credit for strikes inside Syria -- and why.

US president-elect Donald Trump has informed the Biden administration that he expects to see progress in the efforts to obtain a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and his advisors claim he would like the Gaza war wrapped up by the time he takes office in January. Fabian weighs in on whether the IDF is in a position to pull back right now -- without Hamas or Hezbollah simply filling the vacuum.

New Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, who conveyed a “sharp” message to his new Israeli counterpart during their first phone conversation, to the effect that Israel risks jeopardizing the ongoing provision of US weaponry for the Gaza war if it does not credibly show that it has improved the supply and distribution of aid to Gazan noncombatants. We hear about new IDF efforts to introduce more aid into the Strip and discuss Katz's challenges in taking on his new role.

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

Discussed articles include:

Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets at Israel as IDF pounds Lebanon, Syria targets

US warplanes hit Houthis’ advanced weapons storage facilities in Yemen strikes

Israel rejects ‘biased’ warning of famine in Gaza, says aid trucks enter war-torn towns

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: People inspect a bridge allegedly damaged in an Israeli strike near the Syrian village of Tall al-Nabi Mando, in the countryside of Qusayr on October 28, 2024. (Louai Beshara / AFP)

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