Tommy and Ben talk about the latest from Israel and Gaza, including the Netanyahu government’s policy and intelligence failures, the devastating toll on civilians in Israel and Gaza, questions about hostages and reports that Israel may launch a ground offensive into Gaza. They also cover the varied international response to the attack, the history of Hamas, and conflicting reports about Iranian culpability. Then Ben talks to Gregg Carlstrom, the Middle East correspondent for The Economist, about political dynamics within Israel, the timing of the attack, and the unprecedented nature of this developing conflict.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

• To help those affected by the Afghanistan earthquake: Uplift Afghanistan Fund--https://www.upliftafghanistan.org/