Day 142 - As Gaza war winds down, winds of war blow in north

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.

Today is Day 142 of the war. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

The Israeli Navy’s fleet of missile boats carried out “extensive” exercises, as the military prepares for potential war in the north while Israel warns that its patience for a diplomatic solution is running out. Is this drill performative or is Israel that much closer to war in the north?

Early Thursday morning, Israel’s long-range Arrow air defense system shot down a ballistic missile over the Red Sea, fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, the military said. How close was this to Eilat?

On Thursday night, the IDF carried out a drone strike against a vehicle in the northern West Bank city of Jenin targeting a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative reportedly on his way to carry out a terror attack. Fabian speaks about the uptick of airstrikes in the West Bank.

This morning, the IDF said troops nabbed several terror operatives who attempted to hide among a group of civilians evacuating from combat zones in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. We hear how this is an ongoing challenge for the IDF.

On Thursday, the IDF’s Home Front Command declared it essentially safe to return to all communities located between four and seven kilometers (2.5-4.3 miles) from the border with Gaza, along with 18 communities even closer to the Strip, including some practically abutting the war-ravaged enclave. What does this tell us about the trajectory of the war in Gaza?

For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Live blog February 25, 2024

Hezbollah fires rockets, drone at Galilee as Israeli jets pounds southern Lebanon

Israeli Navy carries out ‘extensive’ drills in preparation for potential war in north

Israel’s Arrow intercepts Houthi ballistic missile headed for Eilat

IDF says Jenin drone strike kills Islamic Jihad terrorist behind string of shootings

IDF presses on with new Gaza City operation, 20 Hamas fighters killed in past day

Army okays return to many communities near Gaza, including some where Hamas attacked

THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel

THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown

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IMAGE: Members of the northern town of Katzrin's emergency squad train with the IDF and Israel Police in a joint exercise, Katzrin, Golan Heights on November 20, 2024. (Michael Giladi/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.