The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

The Times of Israel
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The Times of Israel Daily Briefing

Welcome to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing: Your update on what’s important in Israel, the Middle East and The Jewish World.

  1. Day 515 - Devastating IDF Oct. 7 probes depict years of misconceptions

    1 HR. AGO

    Day 515 - Devastating IDF Oct. 7 probes depict years of misconceptions

    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 Daily Briefing. Israel carried out an airstrike in Syria on Monday evening, targeting a military facility near the city of Tartous, in the country’s northwestern coastal region. And today, the Defense Ministry says it is carrying out activities to clear explosives from an area of the Golan Heights near the Syrian border. Fabian updates on IDF activities inside Syria. We spend the rest of the episode on the series of IDF probes into the failures on October 7, 2023. We learn about the immediate failures, including that the attack was a surprise with no intelligence warning. Hamas had numerous forces and was attacking several areas simultaneously. And the IDF had far fewer forces and minimal capabilities available: When the attack began, involving over 5,000 terrorists, just 767 IDF troops were stationed on the border. And then we turn to specific investigations into the air force, the navy and the intelligence wing, and we learn about the series of disasters that led to the tragedies at the Nahal Oz IDF base and Kibbutz Kfar Aza. And finally, we zoom into one of the many tales of heroism that were highlighted in the reports, the story of Kfar Aza resident Brig. Gen. Yisrael Shomer, who fought off terrorists with a kitchen knife before securing a weapon and eventually killing 20. Please see today's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Israel attacks military site in northwestern Syria; no casualties reported Entire Gaza Division was overrun for hours, and IDF didn’t know it; 767 troops faced 5,000 terrorists IDF identified but ignored 5 warning signs of Hamas attack on eve of Oct. 7, its probe shows The intel on Hamas attack plan was there, but IDF simply refused to believe it, probe finds Before Oct. 7, IDF probe shows, Hamas duped Israel into thinking it did not pose a major threat IDF’s Oct. 7 probes show it misread Hamas for years, left southern Israel utterly vulnerable Terrorists took Kfar Aza in an hour. Recapturing it took the IDF days, probe finds ‘Systemic failure’: How Nahal Oz base, 850 meters from Gaza yet utterly vulnerable, fell to Hamas 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: Members of Zaka walk through the destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, as they collect the dead bodies, near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, October 15, 2023. (Edi Israel/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    35 min
  2. Day 514 - Freed hostage Eli Sharabi is all business with PM

    1 DAY AGO

    Day 514 - Freed hostage Eli Sharabi is all business with PM

    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. Zman Yisrael founding editor Biranit Goren joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing. Early this morning, a terror attack was carried out in Haifa's bus station, killing one man and injuring four others before the terrorist was neutralized by security forces. Goren discusses some of the known details of the attack, noting that it bore some resemblance to the terror attacks of the second intifada, targeting public transportation and carried out by lone attackers. Freed hostage Eli Sharabi spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning, as he heads to the US to push on the hostage negotiations with US President Donald Trump. Goren notes that Sharabi, despite recently returning from captivity in skeletal condition to hear that his entire family was killed on October 7, appears to be a person of great emotional strength, focused on getting the remaining hostages home and telling the prime minister that in their conversation. She also discusses the Best Documentary win at the Oscars on Sunday night, when the Palestinian-Israeli film "No Other Land" took home the Academy Award. Goren notes that the film's win wasn't a surprise, and takes Culture Minister Miki Zohar to task for calling the film's win "a sad moment" for the film industry, saying that public funding should be for Israeli films about any subject, regardless of politics. Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. For further reading: Man stabbed to death in suspected terror attack at Haifa bus terminal Netanyahu apologizes to recently released hostage Eli Sharabi: ‘Sorry that it took us so long’ Freed hostage Eli Sharabi to meet Trump this week, brother says ‘No Other Land,’ about Israel razing Palestinian village, wins best documentary Oscar 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: Eli Sharabi is interviewed on Channel 12's 'Uvda' program, in a segment aired on February 27, 2025. (Screenshot: Channel 12, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    19 min
  3. Day 513 - Israel cites a Trump game plan but Hamas won't play ball

    2 DAYS AGO

    Day 513 - Israel cites a Trump game plan but Hamas won't play ball

    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 Daily Briefing. Late last night, following a four-hour security consultation with top officials, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declared that it was endorsing what it described as a proposal by US President Donald Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which would see the ceasefire with Hamas extended through Passover, which ends on April 19. What is this plan and how is it being received? Israel is not allowing any more goods to enter Gaza, says the Prime Minister’s Office, citing Hamas’s refusal to accept what it says is an American proposal to extend phase one of the ceasefire through Passover and Ramadan alongside more hostage releases. Berman explains what else Israel is currently withholding, which is counter to the mediated phase one deal. Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday to “prepare to defend” the Druze-majority city of Jaramana on the outskirts of Damascus in Syria. We hear why Israel sees itself as a defender of Druze and other minorities -- and what type of defense this may be. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that he had signed a declaration to expedite the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance to Israel after the Trump administration approved nearly $12 billion in major foreign military sales to the Jewish state. But after seeing the “good television” of a brush-up between Trump and Zelensky this weekend, should Israel be wary of such promises? Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. For further reading: As truce enters limbo, Israel agrees to extend talks with Hamas before resuming war Netanyahu and Katz direct IDF to ‘prepare to defend’ Syrian Druze suburb of Damascus US moves to expedite delivery of $4 billion in military aid to Israel After shouting match, Zelensky says Trump’s support for Ukraine still ‘crucial’ Trump berates Zelensky in shocking Oval Office scene: ‘Either make a deal or we’re out’ 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. Illustrative: Palestinian Hamas fighters and people gather in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, as preparations take place for the release of three Israeli hostages as part of the seventh hostage-prisoner swap on February 22, 2025. (Bashar Taleb / AFP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 min
  4. Day 512 - All that is Jewish and controversial at the Oscars

    3 DAYS AGO

    Day 512 - All that is Jewish and controversial at the Oscars

    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. Film critic Jordan Hoffman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing, a bonus episode of our weekly What Matters Now podcast series.  Ahead of the 2025 Academy Awards on Sunday night, The Times of Israel’s film critic gives his predictions on which of the five films related to Israel or the Jews will have any chance of taking home a statue. We hear about how the ongoing war in Gaza is creating off-screen drama for a film, “September 5,” that has nothing to do with the current conflict but dares to show Israel as a victim after the country’s athletes were massacred in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Hoffman weighs in on the merits of “A Real Pain” and pronounces it an excellent addition to the pantheon of Jewish film. About “The Brutalist,” he has some reservations, although he applauds the film overall. We learn how the Bob Dylan biopic may not have anything really overtly Jewish about it, but that it’s not a slam to Members of the Tribe. And finally, Hoffman discusses the Palestinian/Jewish Israeli co-production that is hardly a coexistence project, but rather a “From the River to the Sea” production. And so this week, we ask Jordan Hoffman what matters now. Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. 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: Adrien Brody, left, and Guy Pearce in a scene from 'The Brutalist.' (Lol Crawley/A24 via AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min
  5. Day 511 - As phase 1 ends, can Cairo talks get more hostages out?

    4 DAYS AGO

    Day 511 - As phase 1 ends, can Cairo talks get more hostages out?

    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 Daily Briefing updates, followed by the weekly Friday Focus, The Times of Israel's newest podcast series. Each Friday, catch Berman and Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. A Palestinian man steered his car into a crowd of people waiting at a bus stop in northern Israel in what is considered a terror spree that left 13 people injured, including a 17-year-old girl who is fighting for her life. We learn what we know about the perpetrator so far. Last night, the Israel Defense Forces presented its top-level investigations into the military’s failures during the lead-up to the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, and on the day itself. Berman shares quick takeaways and whether the IDF has begun a course correction already. Yesterday, an Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo for “intensive” talks on the next stages of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal, joining mediators from the US and Qatar. Berman weighs in on the disparate goals of all bodies involved. In today’s in-depth Friday Focus conversation, we are reminded that the most effective way to get out as many hostages as possible has been through a pair of negotiated hostage release-ceasefire deals. Among the questions asked and answered are: Who are the major players behind these negotiations? What have been the obstacles? Is paying ransom a Jewish value? Finally, we hear which of Israel’s allies does not traditionally negotiate with terrorists. Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. 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. For further reading: Teen in critical condition after terror suspect plows car into bus stop, injuring 13 IDF’s Oct. 7 probes show it misread Hamas for years, left southern Israel utterly vulnerable Israel sends delegation to Cairo for Gaza talks as ceasefire’s future put in doubt IMAGE: Demonstrators raise placards and chant slogans during a protest calling for the release of hostages held captive in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian terrorists, in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on February 22, 2025. (Jack Guez / AFP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min
  6. Day 510 - 4 more hostage bodies arrive home, after Bibas burial

    5 DAYS AGO

    Day 510 - 4 more hostage bodies arrive home, after Bibas burial

    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. ToI founding editor David Horovitz joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's Daily Briefing. Following the heartbreaking Wednesday afternoon burial of Shiri Bibas, Ariel Bibas and Kfir Bibas, Israel receives the bodies of four more hostage bodies, Itzik Elgarat, Tsahi Idan, Ohad Yahalomi and Shlomo Mantzour, received in the middle of the night on Wednesday. Horovitz discusses the ongoing national mourning for the hostages, including the outpouring of sorrow for the Bibas family, who became a symbol of the October 7 tragedy, highlighting the emotional toll on the mourning families and the nation as a whole. The return of the four hostage bodies marks the end of the first phase of the hostage deal, and Horovitz reviews Israel's military strategy and political dynamics that are closely intertwined in the negotiations. Horovitz also examines how Hamas is perceived by the US, and the role of Qatar in the conflict, reflecting on the need for a comprehensive approach to tackle the ideology behind Hamas and reeducate the region. Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. 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. For further reading: ‘Bitter news’: Israel confirms identities of 4 bodies of hostages returned from Gaza Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas buried in a single casket: ‘They will remain together’ With orange balloons and cries of ‘sorry,’ masses line route of Bibas funeral procession What Israel’s leaders, Donald Trump, and the rest of the free world owe Yarden Bibas IMAGE: People pay their respects along the convoy carrying the bodies of hostages Shiri Bibas, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, in Rishon LeZion, February 26, 2025. (Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 min
  7. Day 509 - Bibas family buried as Hamas to release 4 hostages' remains

    6 DAYS AGO

    Day 509 - Bibas family buried as Hamas to release 4 hostages' remains

    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, political reporter Tal Schneider and reporter Sue Surkes join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing. Hamas and Israel reportedly reached an agreement for the release of four Israeli hostages’ bodies and 602 Palestinian security prisoners, the terror group and an Israeli official said late Tuesday, which would an end to an impasse that risked collapsing the multiphase ceasefire agreement before its first stage was even completed. Berman weighs in whether this means that talks are now on track for phase two. Speaking in Washington DC, yesterday Opposition Leader Yair Lapid presented a “day after” plan for Gaza, envisioning an extended Egyptian guardianship of the war-torn Strip. The plan would have Egypt take responsibility for managing Gaza for eight years, with the option to extend it to 15 years. Schneider describes some of the potential obstacles. The budget is meant to pass by the end of March, but this morning we’re hearing threats from the head of United Torah Judaism that he'll hold it up until haredi young men are fully exempt from military conscription. But is this a real threat? Family, friends and the president on Tuesday eulogized Oded Lifshitz, the 83-year-old peace activist who was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz and slain in captivity, with his wife lamenting that he was killed by those he sought to help. Today, Israel accompanies Shiri Bibas and her sons Ariel and Kfir on their way to burial. We describe the mood in the country. In a heart-rending address during a rally of relocated Kibbutz Nir Oz residents held in Kiryat Gat on Saturday, the mother of Yoav Avital, a friend of murdered hostage Ariel Bibas, described his loss from the perspective of her 5-year-old son. Surkes describes his ineffable pain. An interim report issued Monday by the State Comptroller on the rehabilitation of Gaza border communities following the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion found that communities badly hit on that day but located more than 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the Gaza border — thus making them ineligible for special state support — were suffering and in need of aid. Surkes reports how these include the southern city of Ofakim, where 53 people were murdered. Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. 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. For further reading: Hamas: Deal reached for ‘simultaneous’ release of 4 slain hostages, Palestinian prisoners Lapid presents Gaza ‘day after’ plan in DC, urges extended Egyptian takeover ‘We fought for peace, were attacked by those we helped’: Yocheved Lifshitz parts from Oded Bibas family tells Netanyahu to ‘shut up,’ as he details the murders of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir ‘He isn’t dead, he’s in his room’: Ariel Bibas’s 5-year-old friend struggles with his loss State comptroller urges PM to finish review of southern communities eligible for aid IMAGE: A makeshift memorial in front of portraits of murdered Israeli hostages Shiri (L), Ariel (CL), and Kfir (CR) Bibas, as well as Oded Lifshitz (R) at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on February 25, 2025. (Jack Guez / AFP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  8. Day 508 - Is Hamas’s show of force in Gaza backfiring?

    FEB 25

    Day 508 - Is Hamas’s show of force in Gaza backfiring?

    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 Daily Briefing. The negotiations for extending phase one of the hostage deal will begin Wednesday, says Magid, with US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff's arrival first in Israel, as Israel is currently seen as the toughest partner. Any extension of the first phase of the ceasefire would include only a trickle of additional hostages, adds Magid. Israel has also demanded that Hamas stop the ceremonies held upon each hostage release, arranged to show that the terrorist group is still in power in Gaza. However, says Magid, the grotesque ceremonies have pushed the Trump administration, making them more unwilling to accept a Hamas presence in Gaza. There's more heat from the Arab world about the Hamas presence in Gaza, says Magid, with leading comments from senior Hamas politburo member Moussa Abu Marzouk in The New York Times. Magid remarks that it's worth taking those comments at face value, as they are also indicative of the entry of President Trump into the equation. Magid also looks at a United Nations vote that brought the US, Russia and Israel together against a Ukrainian UN resolution intended to condemn Russia. Magid comments that the vote signifies a shift in US intentions, with the US joining Russia and Israel taking a position because it doesn't want to antagonize President Trump. This conversation can also be viewed here: Please see today's ongoing live blog for more updates. Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ben Wallick. For further reading: In first, Witkoff says US looking to extend hostage deal’s current phase Hamas ceremonies spurring Trump pressure for Arab plan to push group out — diplomats Senior Hamas official: I wouldn’t have backed Oct. 7 if I’d known outcome for Gaza US backs Israel’s decision to push off release of 602 Palestinian security prisoners Joining US, Israel votes against UN motion condemning Russian invasion of Ukraine IMAGE: People pay their respects as the coffin of hostage Oded Lifshitz, killed in Hamas captivity, makes its way from Rishon Lezion, February 25, 2025. (Photo by Miriam Alster/Flash90) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    16 min
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Welcome to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing: Your update on what’s important in Israel, the Middle East and The Jewish World.

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