Day 415 - ToI goes deeper in Lebanon as IDF acts to uproot Hezbollah

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.

Fabian was in Lebanon last week, where troops have pushed into the “second line of villages,” about 4-5 miles from the border. He describes what he saw and speaks about a briefing he had with a senior Israeli defense official, who told reporters Thursday that there is a substantial chance of Israel reaching a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.

Five Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught were killed in a recent airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Friday, noting that two were commanders who led the massacre and kidnapping of civilians from the Mefalsim area during the brutal attack. Fabian updates us on what is going on inside Gaza right now, even as winter rains are approaching.

This morning, Defense Minister Israel Katz said he will not approve the promotion of two officers from the IDF Southern Command until their role in the failures of October 7 are investigated. This comes after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi announced a new round of senior appointments in the military, including 11 new brigadier generals and four new colonels, as well as six brigadier generals and 19 colonels who are moving to new positions at the same rank. We discuss several of the new appointments and some of the pressures on Katz.

Emirati authorities have found the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an emissary to Abu Dhabi’s Chabad chapter missing since Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement Sunday. This is a developing story, but Fabian describes what we know so far.

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Aiming to enable return of displaced Israelis, IDF pushes deeper into south Lebanon

Woman lightly wounded as Hezbollah fires rockets and drones at center, north

Defense official says major chance for Lebanon truce after US envoy visits for talks

IDF says it killed five Hamas terrorists who led Mefalsim area massacres on Oct. 7

Body of slain Chabad rabbi found in UAE; Israel condemns ‘antisemitic act of terror’

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: Lt. Col. Roi Katz, a battalion commander in the 188th Armored Brigade in southern Lebanon, November 20, 2024. (Emanuel Fabian/Times of Israel)

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