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.

Today is day 175 of the war with Hamas. Zman Yisrael editor Biranit Goren and legal reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

In response to a new provisional International Court of Justice ruling yesterday, late last night, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the country will continue looking for new ways to facilitate the entry of increased aid into Gaza. Why did the court issue new provisional measures aimed at Israel now?

A government resolution from June 2023 instructing the IDF to temporarily not draft Haredi students will expire at midnight on March 31 and the past several weeks has seen the government attempt to come up with a reasonable proposal to stave off this deadline. Last night the High Court of Justice issued an interim order. Sharon explains what the court decided and Goren dives into the political turmoil.

Official Israel and the United States appear to believe that there is still a chance to revive hostage deal negotiations with the Hamas terror organization after indirect talks in Qatar broke down earlier in the week. But behind the scenes in political Israel, we’re hearing conflicting reports on willingness to negotiate. Goren explains.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid beat out opponent MK Ram Ben Barak by the skin of his teeth in Thursday afternoon’s Yesh Atid primary, the party’s first leadership contest since it was founded by Lapid in 2012. Goren dives into the real winner of this primary -- and it's neither contender.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 28, 2024

ICJ orders Israel to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, demands report in 30 days

In ‘historic’ step, High Court orders halt to yeshiva funds for students eligible for draft

In surprise primary result, Lapid holds on to party leadership by a mere 29 votes

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Israeli soldiers from the Netzah Yehuda Battalion patrol near the Israeli-Gaza border, October 20, 2023. (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.

Today is day 174 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Schneider discusses the 11th-hour government request for an extension to the High Court petition to avoid mandatory Haredi conscription that would begin April 1, reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holed up in his office with his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners late Wednesday night in a last-minute attempt to find a solution that would appease them.

She then looks at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political flip-flopping and political spinning over the last few days, discussing his desperate attempts to save his political base of Likud voters despite a series of adverse reactions from the US administration and fellow politicians to his latest actions.

Schneider also talks about the passing of former Senator Joe Lieberman, his friendship with Israel, and his relationships with political conservatives on the other side of the spectrum, and what colleagues are saying about him.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 28, 2024

Government seeks 11th hour-High Court extension to avoid mandatory Haredi conscription

Netanyahu desperately seeks to strengthen his base, at the expense of US ties, hostages

Former US senator Joe Lieberman, first Jewish VP nominee for major party, dies at 82

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Israelis protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the current Israeli government, in Tel Aviv, on March 23, 2024. (Photo by Erik Marmor/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.

Today is day 173 of the war with Hamas. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

A 25-year-old man has been declared dead after being pulled out of a building struck by a Hezbollah rocket in Kiryat Shmona’s industrial zone after yesterday, the IDF conducted its deepest strike in Lebanon amid the Israel-Hamas war, some 110 kilometers from Israel’s border. Fabian gives updates.

The Israeli Air Force also carried out airstrikes in the predawn hours of Tuesday morning in eastern Syria, targeting Iranian assets and operatives involved in a recent plot to smuggle advanced arms to West Bank terrorists. We learn how members of Iran’s Unit 4000, the Special Operations Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Intelligence Organization, and the special operations unit of the IRGC’s Quds Force in Syria, known as Unit 18840, were eliminated.

The Palestinian death toll in routine overnight clashes with Israeli forces in Jenin has risen to three. Fabian weighs in on how the operations in the West Banks have shifted since the beginning of Operation Breaking the Wave two years ago.

This morning the IDF said its raid on Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital is ongoing, with the military saying troops killed dozens of gunmen and captured weapons over the past day. Yesterday, the IDF released video footage of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives detailing how the terror groups used the hospital as a base for terror operations. What else does the IDF hope to learn?

The Israel Defense Forces’ top spokesman on Tuesday confirmed that the deputy commander of Hamas’s military wing, Marwan Issa, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the central Gaza Strip earlier this month. What do we know about the power structure of Hamas now?

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 26, 2024

IDF strikes Hezbollah deep in Lebanon after missile fire on base, border community

IDF strikes Iran-linked operatives, assets in eastern Syria; more than 15 said killed

In interrogations, Hamas, PIJ operatives describe using Shifa hospital as terror hub

IDF confirms Marwan Issa, Hamas’s No. 3, was killed in central Gaza strike

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Israeli forces check a building that was hit by a Hezbollah rocket in Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel near the Lebanon border, on March 27, 2024. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

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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.

Today is day 172 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Monday demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, after the United States withheld its veto and abstained from the vote. What is different in the text of this resolution and what it’s calling for?

Berman reported yesterday that he was being told the chances of a hostage release deal were at best 50-50. What happened last night to lower those odds even further and where do we stand now?

Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backtracked on parts of his proposed Haredi enlistment law and the updated version is expected to be brought to the cabinet on Tuesday. Horovitz weighs in.

New Hope chair Gideon Sa’ar announced his four-seat party’s departure from the coalition yesterday, two weeks after dissolving his political alliance with Benny Gantz, after his demands to be appointed to the high-level war cabinet were not met. Anyone care?

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 26, 2024

UN Security Council adopts call for Gaza ceasefire, hostage release as US abstains

US non-veto at UN, Netanyahu’s response reflect an alliance in crisis, a war slowed

Hamas tells mediators it’s ‘sticking to original position’ on demand for full ceasefire

Under pressure, PM revises Haredi enlistment plan but fails to satisfy critics

Gideon Sa’ar quits coalition after Netanyahu fails to appoint him to war cabinet

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Israeli police stand guard as relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas protest during a Purim parade in Jerusalem on March 25, 2024. (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP)

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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.

Today is day 171 of the war with Hamas. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Israeli officials seem to be giving the hostage release negotiations that are currently underway a 50-50 chance of success, but it sounds like the numbers and nuts and bolts of the potential deal continue to solidify. What is Berman hearing?

Late last week, Berman was embedded with the IDF near Khan Younis and Lt. Col. Ofir Caspi made headlines for some of his more controversial remarks. What did Berman see there and what did Caspi say?

Yesterday, US Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday did not rule out consequences for Israel if it moves forward with a major ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, but US President Joe Biden seems to be on board with targeted operations. How does Berman see that working out?

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Sunday in Cairo that delivering the necessary aid to famine-threatened Gaza “requires Israel removing the remaining obstacles and chokepoints to relief.” Berman speaks about the delicate balance the IDF must take while securing the aid conveys.

And finally, Berman puts on his old university chaplain hat and answers some questions about Purim.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 25, 2024

Israel said willing to free some 800 inmates for 40 captives, as talks given 50/50 odds

As Rafah waiting game continues, 82nd Battalion expands long fight in Khan Younis

Biden’s wished-for targeted operation in Rafah might not be out of the question

Kamala Harris doesn’t rule out consequences for Israel if it goes ahead with Rafah op

UN chief blames Israeli ‘obstacles, chokepoints’ for looming famine in Gaza Strip

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Smoke plumes billow after Israeli bombardment over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 20, 2024, during the ongoing war against Hamas. (Said Khatid / AFP)

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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.

Today is day 170 of the war with Hamas. Military correspondent Emmanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Fabian offers an update on the continuing Shifa Hospital raid as IDF troops moves through the compound during the week-long operation and should come to an end within the next few days.

He looks at the ongoing situation in north that appears to be intensifying as Hezbollah fired a battery of 50 rockets that landed near Kibbutz Kfar Blum.

Fabian also discusses the early Friday morning attack in the West Bank with lone sniper who was well prepared, taking several hours of a shootout, including a Duvdevan commado unit and helicopter to locate and take him out.

Finally, he speaks about Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's trip to Washington, DC Sunday with several senior defense ministry officials and IDF officials, in order to discuss the Gaza war, ongoing humanitarian situation, weapons deliveries and hostage situation.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 24, 2024

Over 170 gunmen killed, 800 suspects captured in ongoing Shifa Hospital raid — IDF

Hezbollah claims it targeted Iron Dome battery near Kfar Blum with armed UAVs

IDF names soldier killed in West Bank sniper attack; battalion chief seriously hurt

Gallant to leave for Washington Sunday at invitation of US defense chief

Jerusalem mayor meets hostages’ families, agrees on changes to Purim parade

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: The fiancee of Ilya Cohen, who is still be held hostage in Gaza, calling for his release at a protest in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv (Courtesy Adar Eyal)

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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.

Today is day 169 of the war with Hamas. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

What do we now know about a potential address by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer's response to it?

A massive appropriations package the US Congress passed early Saturday included a one-year ban on US funding to UNRWA until 2025. Magid explains what are likely scenarios.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is conducting a tour of the region and he said at the Rafah crossing today that a long line of blocked relief trucks on Egypt’s side of the border with the Gaza Strip where people face starvation is a moral outrage, blaming Israel for the delay. Yesterday, Magid spoke with the UN’s Gaza humanitarian coordinator. What did he learn?

The UN Security Council is set to vote on Monday on a resolution demanding a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but the United States warned the measure could hurt negotiations to pause the Israel-Hamas war. Magid weighs in.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on the last stop of his sixth diplomatic swing through the region since war erupted on October 7, amid tensions between Washington and Jerusalem over the management of the conflict. What are we hearing from Blinken's meetings here?

Magid obtained a series of documents that reveal how top Israeli officials sought and expressed their appreciation for the financial support provided by Qatar to stabilize the humanitarian situation in Gaza in the years and months prior to Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 23, 2024

‘A moral outrage’: At Gaza border, UN chief decries blocked trucks, inadequate aid flow

Schumer suggests he’s on board with proposal for Netanyahu to address Congress

Israel lauds US ban on UNRWA financing until 2025 under new government funding bill

UNSC vote set for Monday on new Gaza ceasefire resolution; US unlikely to back it

Blinken warns major Rafah op risks global isolation, long-term security harm for Israel

Documents show Israel sought, valued Qatari aid for Gaza in years leading to Oct. 7

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: File - Jamie McGoldrick, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, visits the Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 5, 2020. (SAID KHATIB / AFP)

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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.

Today is day 168 of the war with Hamas. Jewish world reporter Canaan Lidor joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Lidor talks about comments made by prominent Reform rabbi Angela Buchdahl about the struggles American Jews are having regarding Israel, the ongoing war and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

He also looks at a Knesset bill regarding the appointment of municipal rabbis, a potentially divisive bill that was postponed due to objections from senior lawmakers.

Lidor then discusses evacuees from the Gaza border communities remaining in Dead Sea hotels, because of the sense of trauma and lack of safety they feel in their former hometowns.

Steinberg describes the Fast of Esther prayers at different locations around Israel on Thursday, as well as the massive recitation of the Shema prayer at the Western Wall, for the safe return of the hostages.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 22, 2024

Top US rabbi says Gaza’s plight, distrust of Netanyahu make supporting Israel ‘hard’

After protests, coalition refreezes bill hiking number of municipal rabbis

At Dead Sea hotels, lasting mental, physical traumas delay homecoming for some evacuees

Jerusalem mayor meets hostages’ families, agrees on changes to Purim parade

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: Jews attend a prayer for the return of the Israeli hostages at the Western Wall on March 21, 2024. (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.

Today is day 167 of the war with Hamas. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

We begin today's episode with more ripples felt since Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer’s 45-minute speech last Thursday calling for new Israeli elections as the war winds down and branding Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace. Yesterday, Netanyahu spoke to a group of Republican senators and US House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that the legislative chamber’s Republican caucus is considering inviting Netanyahu to address Congress. What does it mean as Israel -- or at least Netanyahu -- becomes an increasingly partisan issue?

Netanyahu said yesterday he would “soon approve plans to evacuate the civilian population” from Rafah ahead of an expected major operation in the southern Gaza city. At the same time, he acknowledged that preparations for the operation “will take some time,” as Jerusalem continues its dialogue with Washington. What new information do we have on a looking Rafah operation?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel on Friday, but yesterday he said that the “gaps are narrowing” between Israel and Hamas on an extended truce and hostage deal. What are we hearing from Israeli hostage families?

Though the findings predated the Hamas massacre of October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, Israel wis fifth place in the World Happiness rankings for 2024. Horovitz weighs in.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 21, 2024

US speaker says House GOP weighing asking Netanyahu to address Congress

Never mind Chuck Schumer’s hopes and fears, what Israel do Israelis want?

‘Gaps closing’ in hostage talks, Blinken says as he begins 6th wartime trip to region

Israel drops one place to 5th in global happiness list; Finland retains top spot

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE: File: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves following his address to a joint session of the US Congress on March 3, 2015 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (MANDEL NGAN / AFP)

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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.

Today is day 166 of the war with Hamas. Political correspondent Tal Schneider and Ops and Blogs editor Miriam Herschlag join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

Schneider discusses the Canadian arms embargo that was passed in the Canadian parliament on Tuesday, highlighting the shift of global opinion against Israel and what it could mean in G7 politics.

She also talks about the food crisis in the Gaza Strip, the efforts being made by chef José Andrés's organization World Central Kitchen to bring food into the region and what it could mean if the term 'famine' is used to describe the situation in Gaza.

Herschlag discusses the Purim debate set out by ToI bloggers, who are discussing how to celebrate and mark the day this year, given the ongoing war, the remaining hostages and the Jewish commandment to celebrate.

Schneider briefly mentions the upcoming appearance of former justice minister Tzipi Livni in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial.

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

Discussed articles include:

Live blog March 20, 2024

After non-binding motion, Canada to halt arms exports to Israel

Report says famine imminent in much of northern Gaza

Who’s in the mood for Purim this year?

A slightly different Purim for a very different year

‘Agunah Day’ and the Kontseptsia

Tzipi Livni arrives in court to testify in Netanyahu corruption trial

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 Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

IMAGE:  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, talks with Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly during the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

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