The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

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 for today's episode.

Two Israeli soldiers were killed fighting in separate incidents in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis on Monday. Cpt. Tal Movshovitz, 28, from Re’ut, was killed by an explosive device planted in a building.
Hours later, Staff Sgt. Naveh Leshem, 20, from Nokdim, was killed, and 10 other soldiers were wounded. Berman addresses the rumors of progress towards a negotiated deal to get the hostages out and a ceasefire in the Strip. What is happening in the war and what has changed?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday did not rule out plans to target Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Instead, he suggested that it would be a surefire way to “end the conflict” with the Islamic Republic. Berman updates us on other statements from the prime minister -- in English and Hebrew.

Downtown Tehran appears to be emptying out, with many shops closed, including in the city’s ancient Grand Bazaar, perhaps in light of US President Donald Trump’s impromptu evacuation call for the entire city of Tehran Monday night, citing what he said was the country’s rejection of a deal to curb nuclear weapons development, as the conflict between Israel and the Islamic Republic appeared poised for further escalation. Berman explains what happened in the G7 and where the war could be turning.

French authorities erected black partition walls around Israeli company exhibits displaying offensive weapons systems at the Paris Air Show overnight Sunday, hours before the event opened at Le Bourget Airport. Berman weighs in, explaining the nuance of the situation -- and why this is hardly the first time Israel is singled out at this show.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

2 soldiers killed in Gaza; another mass casualty incident reported near GHF aid site

Netanyahu admits Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was Israeli initiative

Netanyahu says Israel won’t rule out killing Khamenei: It would ‘end the conflict’

Trump urges ‘everyone’ to flee Tehran, sparking speculation of widening conflict

Trump, G7 heads call for ‘de-escalation’ in Iran, but US president denies ceasefire bid

Paris Air Show closes off pavilions of Israeli companies displaying ‘offensive weapons’

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: Handout image of Israeli fighter jet lifting off to strike Iran, June 17, 2025. (IDF)

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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.

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Over the past night, eight Israelis were killed and hundreds injured in Iranian barrages, with evenings and overnights now punctuated by missile strikes. Israelis have been staying close to protected spaces, and, until last night, almost every serious casualty had been outside a protected room or shelter.

Horovitz talks about Israel gaining air supremacy in Iran and the declared goals of the military campaign, which include averting the ballistic missile threat and damaging the Iranian nuclear program, but do not include bringing down the Iranian regime or targeting the country's political leadership... or completely destroying the nuclear program. Rather, the overt intention is to create an environment in which the regime decides its own interests require it to abandon and dismantle the entire program.

He notes that Israel has killed many Iranian commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and army, and key nuclear scientists, disrupting the regime's military command structure and hampering a potential breakout to the bomb.

Horovitz discusses whether the US could get involved, and notes comments by US President Donald Trump that express clear support for Israel but no intention to join the battle.

He says that Israel, which has made significant progress over the last few days, never asks other countries to fight its wars, but American involvement may be crucial in disabling Iran's best-protected nuclear facilities.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

8 killed, nearly 300 injured as Iranian ballistic missiles strike central Israel, Haifa

Devastation grows as Iran targets Israel’s civilian areas, despite interceptors and shelters

Israel kills Iranian intel chiefs, strikes deep inside Iran, opens ‘air corridor to Tehran’

IDF reiterates safe rooms still best option against Iran’s missiles, despite 2 fatalities

Trump said to veto Khamenei assassination; Netanyahu: Conflict may result in regime change

Trump says ‘it’s possible’ US will get involved in Iran-Israel conflict, while urging deal

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: Israelis at scene where a ballistic missile fired from Iran hit and caused damage in Tel Aviv, June 16, 2025. (Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

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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 for today's episode.

Over the past night, 10 Israelis were killed and 200 injured in Iranian barrages, in addition to three killed the previous night and dozens injured, including seven IDF soldiers. Berman fills us in on the overnight strikes.

We turn to a discussion of Iran's military capabilities and what's known about its missile arsenal. And Borschel-Dan poses the to-date hypothetical question of Iran's naval fleet reaching Israel.

So far, American air defense systems and a Navy destroyer have helped Israel shoot down incoming ballistic missiles that Tehran has launched in response to Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and top military leaders. We hear how the US has used both ground-based Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Air Defense systems that are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. A Navy destroyer in the eastern Mediterranean Sea also shot down Iranian missiles heading toward Israel, one official said. Berman weighs in on whether the US may step up its efforts and join Israel in the possible scenario of a ground offensive on Iranian soil.

To close out, Berman describes the daring Mossad operation in Iran that allowed Israel to launch the airstrikes. We hear that Israel spent years preparing for the operation against Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, including building a drone base inside Iran and smuggling precision weapons systems and commandos into the country.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

6 dead, including 2 children, in Iranian missile strike on Bat Yam apartment building

Devastation grows as Iran targets civilian areas, despite interceptors and shelters

4 Arab women – mother, 2 daughters and a sister-in-law – killed by Iranian missile near Haifa

US air defense systems, naval destroyer help down Iranian missiles fired at Israel

Trump: Iran will face American might ‘at levels never seen before’ if it attacks US

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: Illustrative: US President Donald Trump gets out of a THAAD missile truck at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 15, 2019. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

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Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Amanda Borschel-Dan speaking with senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur.

Since 3 am on Friday morning, Israel has been at war with Iran. We begin the program with a pause to look at how each of us sees this Israeli moment.

Rettig Gur weighs in on how this war with Iran was inevitable ever since Hamas's murderous onslaught on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and began the ongoing war in Gaza.

The IDF chief of staff Eyal Zamir told Israel's political leaders in the past day that the campaign in Iran is essential to ensure "the existence of the Jewish people," according to Israel's Channel 12. "The operation in Iran is an operation to defend the existence of the Jewish people. History will not forgive us if we do not act now."

We discuss the tipping point of launching the operation and the international media's cynicism that it was begun in part as a ploy for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stay in power. A constant critic of Netanyahu, today, Rettig Gur applauds his courage in taking on Iran.

Finally, we hear Rettig Gur's thoughts on Netanyahu's hopes that the Iranian people will use this opportunity to shake off their shackles of oppression and overturn the regime.

And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur, what matters now.

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and video edited by Thomas Girsch. 

IMAGE: Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, February 7, 2025, . (OFFICE OF THE IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER via AP)

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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 and diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Overnight, Israel launched a major offensive against the Islamic Republic of Iran, striking nuclear sites, military facilities, missile bases and senior leadership. Fabian describes how new intelligence indicated that the military assessed Iran currently has enough enriched uranium to build 15 nuclear bombs — as well as its ballistic missile factories and its military capabilities.

We hear details about the "Rising Lion" mission, as well as Iran’s retaliation of 100 UAVs, as of recording time mid-morning Friday.

We also learn about the behind-the-scenes cooperation between the United States and Israel and how the world is responding to this preemptive strike so far, especially the Saudia Arabia.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

After years of preparation, Israel launches major offensive against Iran and its nuclear program

‘An immediate operational necessity’: Why Israel finally attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities

Explainer: The handful of facilities at the core of Iran’s nuclear program

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: An Israeli Air Force fighter jet departs for strikes in Iran, early June 13, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)

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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 joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Magid offers the latest on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, with recent reports of staffers killed and perhaps taken captive by Hamas terrorists, as well as the possibility of some 25 Palestinians killed at one of the aid sites. Magid reviews the latest Hamas claims and GHF responses, discussing the confusion in this ongoing initiative.

As the French and Saudis host a UN conference next week advancing a two-state solution, Magid says there is speculation whether France will use it as an opportunity to declare a Palestinian state, making it the most prominent country in the West to do so, while remaining an ally of Israel. Magid says there is still much indecision about the unilateral step, which could interfere with the ongoing hostage negotiations and with concerns about how Israel would react. 

Talks with Iran continue, with US President Donald Trump publicly criticizing the Iranian republic for not negotiating seriously. Magid looks at some of the serious steps being taken by the US to shield US personnel in the Middle East, possibly indicating that an attack is coming, either by the US or Israel.

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent video statement about possible progress in hostage talks, which was dismissed by others, Magid notes that the recent phone conversation between Trump and Netanyahu points to the US president's intention that the war in Gaza needs to end, despite the Israeli government's interest in contining the military pressure in Gaza.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Gaza aid group says Hamas killed at least 5 local staffers, possibly abducted others

Palestinians say 25 killed near Gaza aid site; IDF says troops fired at threats

MBS attendance at 2-state confab to signal that France will recognize Palestinian state

US slams UN conference on Israel-Palestinian issue, warns of consequences

US begins evacuating Mideast embassies, army bases as Iran nuclear talks come to a head

Trump said to have told Netanyahu to end Gaza war, attacking Iran off limits for now

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 and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: French President Emmanuel Macron, right, speaks with Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud prior to a group photo at an EU-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Brussels, Belgium, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

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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 and political reporter Tal Schneider join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Defense Minister Israel Katz agreed on Israel’s response to Hamas’s counter-offer to a US proposal for a hostage-ceasefire deal at their meeting yesterday, Army Radio reports. The response has been forwarded to mediators, the report says. Officials are now awaiting the terror group’s response, but in the meantime, fighting continues on the ground in Gaza. Fabian fills us in.

In a first, Israeli Navy missile boats on Tuesday morning launched strikes against infrastructure at the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida in western Yemen. Fabian explains the pros and cons of using the naval forces instead of the air force for similar future attacks.

The UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway said Tuesday that they would freeze assets and bar the entry of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for having “incited extremist violence” against Palestinians in the West Bank. Schneider weighs in on all the various diplomatic efforts on the table designed to pressure Israel to stop the Gaza war, including the upcoming conference in New York co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia on the topic of the two-state solution.

Leaders of opposition parties decided this morning to submit a private bill to dissolve the Knesset, starting the process of four votes that may -- or may not -- lead to new elections. Schneider dives into the thorny topic and explains the forces pulling strings behind the scenes.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Palestinians say 20 killed near aid site; IDF says troops fired at Gazans who posed threat

Israeli Navy carries out Yemen strikes for 1st time, targeting Houthi port

IDF shoots down Yemen missile; multiple interceptors launched as it breaks up

UK, Canada and 3 other nations sanction Ben Gvir and Smotrich over settler violence

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 and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: Illustrative: An LRAD missile is launched from the Sa’ar 6-class corvette INS Magen during a test in November 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)

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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 correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Ariela Karmel for today's episode.

Berman discusses new developments in the ongoing Iran nuclear talks and daylight between US and Israeli leadership following a 40-minute phone call between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening, shortly after Iran announced that it would respond soon to Washington's latest proposal for a nuclear deal.

Berman also describes his recent tour in Gaza with the IDF, during which he entered Hamas tunnels underneath an EU-funded hospital where Hamas command sat, including commander Muhammad Sinwar who was killed there in an Israeli airstrike in May.

Hostages are believed to have also been held in the vast network of tunnels underneath the hospital, says Berman, noting that it is not clear who was held there or when but that forensic evidence pointing to the presence of hostages has been found.

Finally, Berman discusses a new report detailing a series of multimillion-dollar deals approved by Netanyahu between top Israeli defense companies and Qatar.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

 

For further reading:

Trump speaks with Netanyahu, stresses US wants Iran deal ‘so there’s no destruction and death’

Here, beneath an EU-funded Gaza hospital, Hamas military chief Mohammed Sinwar met his end

Report: PM approved multimillion dollar deals between top Israeli defense companies and Qatar

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 and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: Troops from the IDF Golani Brigade guard the entrance to a tunnel underneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, June 8, 2025 (Lazar Berman/The Times of Israel)

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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.

Political correspondent Sam Sokol and archaeology reporter Rossella Tercatin join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As Shas party leader Aryeh Deri threatens to leave the coalition, Sokol discusses the pressure being placed on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the ultra-Orthodox parties to wrangle Likud lawmaker Yuli Edelstein and the law he is writing regarding Haredi army enlistment.

There is intense anger in the ultra-Orthodox world over the issue, says Sokol, who also notes an act of arson in a Shas synagogue in Sunday, as the Shas party announced its intention to leave the coalition over its anger with Netanyahu regarding the Haredi draft bill.

Sokol notes that a political insider told him there's a relatively low chance of these pressures leading to new elections. Even if the current coalition is dissolved, there would still be up to five months of its ability to continue functioning and for the coalition parties to buy more time for themselves.

Tercatin discusses two sets of findings, one regarding the Bible. A pioneering new algorithm looks at the layers of oral traditions and writers of the Bible and its editors. The algorithm helps discern which words are used most often and the writing style, creating new methods of analyzing ancient writings and answering questions about the history they present.

She also looks at a radiocarbon dating study that was used to examine one of the Dead Sea scrolls, helping futher determine the timeframe when it was written, and whether the current scrolls are first copies or early editions.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Shas said planning to back Knesset dissolution over stymied draft-exemption bill

Shas spiritual leader: Edelstein’s soul is an abomination, shame he came to Israel

Haredi parties maintain pressure on PM after he claims ‘significant progress’ in talks

Outrage after arson attack on Jerusalem synagogue of top Shas party rabbi

Who wrote the Bible? A pioneering new algorithm may shatter scholarly certitude

New study revolutionizes Dead Sea Scrolls dating, might rewrite Israel’s history

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 and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: Shas party leader Aryeh Deri and spiritual leader Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef visit the scene of suspected arson and vandalism at a Jerusalem synagogue on June 8, 2025. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

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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.

Four more soldiers were declared dead on Friday morning after a booby trapped building exploded in the southern Gaza Strip. The slain soldiers were Sgt. First Class Tom Rotstein, Staff Sgt. Uri Yhonatan Cohen, Sgt. Maj. (res.) Chen Gross and Staff Sgt. Yoav Raver. Fabian weighs in on the challenges facing troops on the ground as Operation Gideon's Chariots continues.

The leader of a small Gaza terror group responsible for the October 7, 2023, abductions and eventual murders of several hostages -- including Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir -- was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City on Saturday, the military said. Another senior member was killed in a separate strike in the city. Fabian explains what the Mujahideen Brigades group is and other hostages who were murdered by it.

The body of slain hostage Nattapong Pinta, who Hamas-led terrorists abducted on October 7, 2023, was recovered in a joint Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet operation in the southern Gaza Strip, officials announced Saturday morning. This follows the recovery of two additional hostage bodies, Gadi Haggai and Judih Weinstein from the Khan Younis region. We learn how their whereabouts were determined.

The Israeli Navy is expected to block a high-profile activist mission sailing to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade, should the boat near Israel’s territorial waters in the coming days. Among the 12 activists on the ship are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, Irish “Game of Thrones” actor Liam Cunningham, and Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian European Parliament member. With the world's gaze on Israel, Fabian describes how the Navy may block the boat from reaching the Gaza shore.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

IDF names two other soldiers killed in booby-trapped Gaza building on Friday

4 IDF soldiers killed, 5 wounded after booby-trapped south Gaza building collapses

Gaza aid group says Hamas threats to staff kept distribution hubs closed on Saturday

Heads of terror group that abducted and murdered Bibas family killed by IDF

Body of Thai hostage Nattapong Pinta recovered by IDF from south Gaza’s Rafah

Activist aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg reaches Egypt’s coast as it heads for Gaza

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 and video edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: Golani troops operate in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip in this June 3, 2025, handout image from the IDF. (Israel Defense Forces)

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