The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Today is day 36 of the war. US bureau chief Jacob Magid and political correspondent Tal Schneider join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Magid speaks about Israel's formalization of the daily humanitarian pauses in Gaza, after pressure from Biden administration.

Schneider discusses Netanyahu meeting with municipal heads of communities in Gaza envelope, more than a month after October 7.

Magid talks about the differing comments Netanyahu has made about what will happen in Gaza after the war, and reactions to that.

Schneider mentions soldiers talking about return to Gush Katif, the Jewish settlement bloc in Gaza that was forcibly emptied in 2005.

She also discusses New York Jewish Federation raising millions in first weeks of war, helping evacuees and survivors, filling vacuum of Israeli government.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 11, 2023

Israel formalizes daily humanitarian pauses in Gaza, in first since war’s outbreak

Netanyahu says IDF will control Gaza after war, rejects notion of international force

Israel isn’t seeking to displace Gazans or rule enclave, Netanyahu reassures US

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Palestinians walk on road after fleeing from their homes in Gaza City to the southern part of Gaza, November 11, 2023. (Photo by Atia Mohammed/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's special one-on-one episode.

We are on day 35 of the war with Hamas and as of this morning, 36 IDF soldiers have been killed during the ground operation in Gaza. Fabian describes how in the past several days, the IDF has continued to achieve its goals inside the Gaza Strip and has reached near the Shifa Hospital, which the IDF has said is the headquarters of the terror group.

The IDF has completed airstrikes in Syria after a drone attacked a school in Eilat, Israel's southernmost city. What’s the connection?

The Palestinian Authority has claimed that 14 Palestinians were killed in recent Jenin clashes. What is happening here? And we hear updates on continued tit-for-tat fighting in the north.

Fabian journeyed inside the Gaza Strip with the IDF’s Combat Engineering Corps. We hear about proverbial monsters under a child’s bed and a portal into a dark world.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 10, 2023

IDF says it’s fighting gunmen in Gaza City’s ‘military quarter’ near Shifa Hospital

IDF strikes Syria in response to drone attack on Eilat school

Palestinian Authority says 14 killed in Jenin clashes with IDF

Arrow intercepts missile headed to Eilat; drone of unclear origin hits school in city

Inside a Gaza bedroom, soldiers searching for tunnels find how low Hamas can go

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Damaged buildings are seen in the northern Gaza Strip, as an IDF armored D9 bulldozer flattens land, November 7, 2023. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur and political analyst Carrie Keller-Lynn join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.

We are in day 34 of the war with Hamas and international media is reporting that Qatar is mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas for the potential release of 10-15 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a humanitarian pause in fighting of up to three days. Rettig Gur explains how this could be the wrong decision for Israel. 

Keller-Lynn has conducted an in-depth investigation into whether or not physical evidence of rape was collected from the scores of bodies that exhibited preliminary signs of sexual abuse. She explains why this proof is becoming increasingly important. 

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 9, 2023

Qatar works for release of 10-15 hostages in exchange for pause in fighting

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Demonstrators portray hostages kidnapped from Israel during the brutal October 7 Hamas invasion during a vigil in Prague, Czech Republic, November 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and diplomacy reporter Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in today's episode.

We are in day 33 of the war with Hamas and the rocket attacks in the north and south are unabated. Berman updates with what’s happening in the tit-for-tat from Lebanon and explains how the war in Gaza is progressing -- for now.

There has been a sharp uptick in Gazans from the northern strip making their way south. Berman explains what we are seeing and its significance.

We hear about the diplomatic frontline and which ambassador has just been pulled.

Berman gives a sad update on the Gazan mothers whose children have undergone surgery here and are stuck here during the war.

Goren takes a step back and discusses the dangers when those taken captive in Gaza are lumped together as a topic, "the hostages."

As the world marks the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, in addition to the constant Holocaust denial, there is on social media an increased presence of “massacre deniers.” Goren explains the dangers here.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 8, 2023

Barrage of 20 rockets fired at north from Lebanon; IDF shells targets in response

The IDF’s war on Hamas is going better than it expected… for now

Thousands of Gazans waving white flags head south along IDF evacuation route

Days after speaking about peace, Gazan mother’s 3 children killed in Strip blast

Israel shows world media harrowing footage of Hamas attack to ‘get message across’

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Family and friends attend a ceremony for Israelis abducted by Hamas terrorists in Gaza a month after the October 7 massacre, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, November 7, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Legal correspondent Jeremy Sharon and education reporter Gavriel Fiske join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Today, Israel marks one month since the October 7 massacre with a day of mourning that includes an 11 am minute of silence, flags lowered to half-mast and memorial ceremonies held in schools and town squares throughout the day.

The State Attorney’s Office has yet to indict any citizen for incitement to violence or racism against either Arabs or those deemed “leftists” since Hamas’s October 7 atrocities, despite inflammatory rhetoric on social media over the past month. At the same time, the State Attorney’s Office has filed dozens of indictments against Arab citizens for incitement to terrorism in the same time period, based almost exclusively on inflammatory social media posts. Sharon explains.

Sharon fills us in on the status on legislation that would ban the systematic consumption of media published or disseminated by terrorist organizations.

In a surprise twist to the ongoing judicial reform debate, Sharon updates us on an announcement from Justice Minister Yariv Levin that he will convene the Judicial selection committee -- maybe.

Fiske, in his first podcast appearance, talks about how Israel's universities are supporting the student body -- many of whom are drafted.

Since October 7, volunteering has been off the charts. Fiske brings two studies that crunch the numbers.

Ukrainian children living in a group foster home that were evacuated to Israel due to the war back home, were again evacuated on October 8 -- from Ashkelon. Fiske joined them in Kfar Chabad and reports back.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 7, 2023

Zero indictments for incitement against Arabs filed despite widespread online hate

Bill to ban ‘systematic’ viewing of terror content readied for final Knesset passage

Levin says he’ll convene Judicial Selection Committee, after months of delays

Twice evacuated from war zones, Ukrainian children wait for the battles to end

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: The Or Simcha youth village in Kfar Chabad, central Israel. (Gavriel Fiske/Times of Israel)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Editor David Horovitz and military reporter Emanuel Fabian join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Fabian updates us on the condition of the two police officers who were attacked just outside the Jerusalem Old City’s Damascus Gate this morning.

The IDF has announced that the Gaza Strip is now divided into north and south. How does this clear demarcation affect IDF operations?

An Israeli civilian was killed in an anti-tank guided missile attack launched from Lebanon at an area near the northern community of Kibbutz Yiftah, bringing the civilian death toll on the Israeli side of the Lebanon border to two in attacks by Hezbollah and Palestinian gunmen since October 7. Fabian explains the tit-for-tat from Hezbollah.

The Jordanian kingdom announced that its air force air-dropped vital medical supplies to a field hospital in the Gaza Strip. We only have initial information about IDF coordination. Fabian shares what we know.

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said Sunday on Radio Kol Berama that one of Israel’s options in the war against Hamas could be to drop a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip. How were his remarks received, both here in Israel and abroad?

On October 7, Hamas attacked Israel on from land, sea, air -- and social media. Horovitz weighs in on how Israel is faring in the war for public opinion.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 6, 2023

IDF launches widespread strikes in Gaza as ground troops divide Strip in two

IDF says troops found Hamas rocket launchers near playground, swimming pool in Gaza

Israeli civilian killed in anti-tank missile attack from Lebanon amid escalation

Jordan sends medical aid into Gaza via airdrop coordinated with Israel, US

Far-right minister says nuking Gaza an option, PM suspends him from cabinet meetings

Day 30 of the war: Where it began and where it will end

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: A handout photo shows IDF soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip, in pictures distributed on November 6, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. 

We are on Day 30 of the war with Hamas that erupted four weeks ago when some 3,000 Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel and perpetrated a massacre in towns surrounding the Gaza Strip, killing some 1,400, mostly civilians. There are still some 200 remains to be identified from that Black Shabbat.

Berman updates us on what has been happening during the ground operation in Gaza over the past several days.

We hear about Israel’s cooperation with Centcom and how -- with the two carrier strike groups now in the region -- the US has Israel's back in a very physically present manner.

Berman further updates us on which other countries have pulled their ambassadors over the weekend. 

Surkes speaks about the new horse meditation treatment for Supernova rave survivors

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 5, 2023

Bahrain lawmakers vote to recall envoy from Tel Aviv, but Israel says ties stable

Moshe Ohayon, 52: Social activist, CEO of 929 Torah project

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: In this photo obtained from the US Department of Defense, the aircraft carriers Gerald R. Ford (L, front) and Dwight D. Eisenhower (R, front) and ships in their Strike Groups sail in formation in the Mediterranean Sea, on November 3, 2023. (Jacob Mattingly/US Department of Defense/AFP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Today is day 29 of the war. US bureau chief Jacob Magid and political correspondent Tal Schneider join host Jessica Steinberg for today's podcast.

Schneider discusses public statement made by Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah on Friday, and whether Israel's security establishment can believe that Hezbollah and Iran did not know about the Hamas plans to attack on October 7.

Magid talks about latest visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region, and his efforts to gain some level of cooperation from other Arab countries.

He also looks at US urging for humanitarian aid in Gaza, and Blinken's plan to head to Turkey and speak with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has been making public statements of support for Hamas.

Schneider mentions the Saturday night rally in Tel Aviv for those who are missing and being held captive, as the families mark 30 days and demand action from the government.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 4, 2023

In much-hyped speech, Nasrallah makes threats but does not commit to broader war

Stressing support for Israel, Blinken urges humanitarian pauses; PM rejects any halt

Blinken faces uphill battle for Gaza war pauses at Israel meetings and Arab summit

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on one of his four trips to Israel in since the Hamas assault of October 8, 2023. (Photo by Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian and reporter Canaan Lidor join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode.

Today is the 28th day of the war with Hamas and the IDF announced it had encircled Gaza City last night. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Israel to ask for humanitarian pauses in the fighting. What are we hearing from Israeli officials?

The Reuters news service has reported that the US is flying surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip to help gather intelligence on the locations of hostages taken by Hamas.

Next, we turn to Israel's northern border, which has heated up over the past few days ahead of a planned speech by Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

We cast the spotlight on a battle overnight Wednesday-Thursday with intense and chaotic fighting that raged for over three hours following an ambush targeting soldiers from the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion.

Lidor reports on how European Jewry is faring during the Israel-Hamas war and discusses the Dagestan airport attempted "pogrom" on Sunday.

Lidor spent several days in the refuge city of Eilat this week and reports back on the incredible encounters he experienced there.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 3, 2023

Israeli troops roll into Gaza City as ground offensive intensifies, IDF toll rises

IDF releases radio recording, footage of troops fending off Hamas ambush in Gaza

Hezbollah’s Nasrallah to break silence as Lebanon border skirmishes intensify

Rocket from Lebanon strikes Kiryat Shmona as fighting ramps up on northern border

Different this time: On Israel trip, UK Jewish leaders share grief and deep concern

Pro-Hamas sentiment shocks European Jews, rekindling fears about their future

In Europe, soaring antisemitism popularizes a new invention: The camouflaged mezuzah

Rioters storm airport in Russia’s Dagestan in hunt for Jews aboard flight from Israel

For displaced families, Eilat’s charms are a painful reminder of a life pierced by war

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Israeli artillery stationed near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, November 2, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and Arab affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani join host Amanda Borschel-Dan in our Jerusalem offices.

It is Day 27 of the war with Hamas and the IDF continues to push into Gaza even as Israel suffers continued loss of soldiers’ lives. Berman speaks about what's happening on the ground right now.

Israel's other fronts are also seeing an uptick in violence and an Israeli was killed in a shooting attack in the West Bank this morning. Berman updates on what we are seeing on the northern front.

Foreign passport holders are being let out, and Egypt projects some 7,000 will be cross the Rafah border soon. Who are these foreign passport holders?

Jordan is among the nations to have pulled its ambassadors to Israel. Berman explores how serious of a move this is in terms of Israel-Jordan relations.

We hear about a Lebanese TV interview with Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, in which he basically said the terror organization has no regrets for its October 7 massacre.

And finally, Pacchiani reports back from a visit he made to Rahat and its surroundings, in which he met a Bedouin family with four members held hostage in Gaza.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog November 2, 2023

IDF: Troops breach Hamas defenses, approach Gaza City; 17th soldier killed in battle

Israeli driver shot dead in West Bank terror attack; IDF launches manhunt

Jordan recalls ambassador from Israel to protest carnage in war with Hamas

Bolivia cuts ties with Israel, accusing it of ‘crimes against humanity’ in Gaza

IDF estimates 3,000 Hamas terrorists invaded Israel in Oct. 7 onslaught

Hamas official says group aims to repeat Oct. 7 onslaught many times to destroy Israel

In Rahat, a Bedouin community mourns its October 7 losses away from the public eye

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

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: A staging area near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, on November 1, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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