The Times of Israel Daily Briefing – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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.

Overnight, an Israeli airstrike in Iran killed Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestine Corps in the IRGC Quds Force, who funded and armed Hamas ahead of the terror group’s October 7 onslaught as part of a multi-front plan to destroy Israel. Fabian describes who he was and how central he was in drafting Iran's ultimate strategy to eliminate Israel.

Also hit last night was Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site for the second time since the start of the conflict, as Iran fired an overnight volley of five ballistic missiles at central Israel. The strike on the first day of the conflict destroyed several critical sections, including uranium conversion infrastructure and labs. Last night's strikes were intended to cause further damage to Iran’s nuclear program.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told Israelis yesterday that they must prepare for a “prolonged campaign” against Iran to “eliminate a threat of this magnitude,” indicating that a quick end to the campaign was unlikely. We ask Fabian to decipher this cryptic message from the head of the IDF even as US President Donald Trump told reports that Israel appears to be "winning."

Also yesterday, reporters were told that Israel is not running low on air defense interceptors amid its conflict with Iran, denying reporting that the IDF’s stockpile of interceptor missiles is being depleted. Fabian explains why this may still be the case.

Iran is not only firing traditional ballistic missiles at Israel: At least one ballistic missile launched by Iran at Israel in a barrage on Thursday morning was carrying a cluster bomb warhead, marking a dangerous new development. We speak about this type of missile, as well as Iran's drips-and-drabs retaliation to the continued Israeli strikes.

To close out, we review the stunning operation to eliminate Iran’s top military commanders early June 13 was code-named “Red Wedding” after the infamous scene in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series and “Game of Thrones” TV show, due to the almost fantastical way it was carried out. Fabian explains why.

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

For further reading:

IRGC Palestinian division chief, an architect of Oct. 7, killed in overnight strike in Iran

IDF hits Isfahan nuclear site for 2nd time; Iran fires 5 missiles in overnight barrage

IDF chief warns Israelis must brace for ‘prolonged campaign’ against Iran

Denying reports, IDF indicates that it’s not running low on missile interceptors

Iranian missile with cluster warhead scattered bombs in central Israel, IDF says

Inspired by brutal TV scene, first strikes on Iran said code-named ‘Red Wedding’

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 and first responders check the damage caused to a building from an Iranian strike in Beit She'an on June 21, 2025. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Israel has experience in attempting to stop a nuclear weapons program. Twice before striking Iran on June 13, 2025, Israel attempted to thwart two neighboring nations' nascent nuclear programs.

This week on the Friday Focus, we’re talking about the covert surprise 1981 Operation Opera in Iraq and the 2007 Israeli airstrike on Syria, called Operation Outside the Box or Operation Orchard.

Berman fills us in on the back story of both, and weighs in on how successful they were — of course, with an eye to the current Israel-Iran war and Israel’s goal to stop Iran from reaching a nuclear bomb.

We learn how Operation Opera, also known as Operation Babylon, took place under prime minister Menachem Begin on June 7, 1981, at 16:00 when 14 fighter jets departed from Etzion (Efrat) Airport in Israel. At approximately 17:30, they struck and destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, and within about 90 seconds of bombing, they successfully completed their mission.

Berman speaks about the resultant "Begin Doctrine," which, since 1981, guides Israel in how it reacts to imminent threats of weapons of mass destruction.

We then turn to the second preemptive strike that Israel carried out to stop the bomb in 2007, under prime minister Ehud Olmert. Ten Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-15 fighter jets, along with F-16 fighters and electronic-warfare aircraft, bombed a Syrian radar site and took over Syrian air defenses, feeding them a false picture of empty skies.

We discuss the overriding themes of both operations and compare them with what is currently happening in the Israel-Iran war.

Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: The IDF pilots who participated in the Operation Opera bombing of Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981. (Israel Defense Force archive)

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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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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 ToI editor David Horovitz.

How do you cover a war when no objective, proven journalists are allowed to report independently in the war zone?

And when one side of the conflict -- a terrorist regime -- floods international media with its narrative while the other side -- an attacked sovereign nation -- provides no narrative, guess which side's story makes front pages?

This week on What Matters Now, Horovitz lays out the challenges of penetrating the fog of this war within the constraints of an Israeli information vacuum.

"The hardest challenge for journalists, and it's certainly never been harder for us in the last 19-20 months, is to get the facts first... Getting to the facts has never been harder," said Horovitz. 

And so this week, we ask ToI editor David Horovitz, 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: Palestinians run following an Israeli strike in Gaza City, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus. Each Friday, join diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman and host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.

Just back from reserve duty, Berman has written an in-depth look at the war in Gaza and the questions it raises in Israeli society.

For today's episode, we take a look at Berman's op-ed, "For now, victory is still within reach: 10 truths about the Gaza war, 20 months in," and discuss each point one by one.

In a free-flowing conversation, we hear Berman assess the war's successes and failures and learn about the burning existential issues that Israelis have yet to address.

Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves and the video was edited by Thomas Girsch.

IMAGE: IDF troops of the Nahal Brigade operate in the Gaza Strip, in images released on June 5, 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 Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation banning travel from certain countries, citing national security concerns — and pointedly, the DIY flamethrower attack on Sunday in Boulder, Colorado. Magid explains which nations are -- and are not -- affected, and discusses the new ban on foreign students at Harvard University.

For the first time since Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council discussed and voted on a substantive resolution related to the war in Gaza. The resolution, which was vetoed by the United states, called for a ceasefire, release of the hostages and surge of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Magid weighs in on the significance of the vote.

Mediators are reportedly optimistic that Hamas will soon submit an updated hostage deal proposal that will be closer to what US special envoy Steve Witkoff presented last week, three sources familiar with the matter told Magid. But does this optimism have any grounds? What's changed?

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation announced that its aid distribution sites would again not open on Thursday morning to give time for the US- and Israeli-backed organization to carry out logistical work needed to accommodate larger crowds. We discuss this aid effort in the context of other, now suspended attempts, such as air drops from Jordan.

Israel decided to block a Saudi-led delegation from visiting the West Bank earlier this week. It would have been the first visit by a Saudi foreign minister since Israel took over the West Bank in 1967, and had been intended to boost the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority as a viable candidate to replace Hamas as the governing body of Gaza after the war. Magid adds nuance and context to this decision and its repercussions.

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

For further reading:

Trump bans travel from 12 countries, ties it to attack on Colorado Jewish rally
 
Trump moves to bar US entry to foreign students planning to study at Harvard

US vetoes UN Security Council resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire

Mediators optimistic Hamas will soon submit softened hostage deal proposal — sources

GHF says Gaza aid sites won’t reopen Thursday morning as planned, after one-day shutdown

Saudi official says Israel harmed normalization by blocking West Bank visit – report

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: US Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea (C) speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting to vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, at UN headquarters in New York City on June 4, 2025. (Leonardo Munoz / 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.

Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and reporter Ariela Karmel join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.

As hostage family members met with members of the Trump administration in the White House on Tuesday, Berman discusses the latest developments in the hostage negotiations, as Hamas continues to leverage the remaining living hostages for political gain while negotiators say Hamas must accept US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff's latest proposal.

He also looks at Iran's rejection of the nuclear deal proposal, after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the US proposal for a nuclear agreement went against the country’s national interest of continuing to enrich uranium. Berman notes that Iran wants a deal of some kind, particularly one that will protect them against future Israeli attacks, and is continuing to negotiate, with another round slated for this weekend.

Berman describes one of the aid sites in Gaza that was created by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, and the complications of funneling Gazans into the space to receive their aid packages. He notes that the aid centers are closed today to fine-tune the process and prepare safe access routes after the IDF opened fire toward Palestinians who had approached troops after straying off a pre-approved path for reaching a Rafah distribution site.

Berman also looks at Spain and its decision to cancel another arms deal with Israel, spiking a $325 million system that would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a subsidiary of Israel’s Rafael Advance Defense Systems. Berman discusses that Spain is a long-time critic of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and that it may be following other European countries with this step.

Karmel speaks about ongoing government settlement policies that incentivize Israelis to move to the West Bank due to rising housing costs inside Israel, and how that situation has been concretized by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government.

She also relates the launch of a book by released hostage Eli Sharabi, the first book by a former hostage, and his determination to keep living despite the personal tragedies he has experienced.

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

For further reading:

Senior Israeli official: Hamas ‘must understand it has to accept the Witkoff outline’

Key US consulting firm withdraws from American- and Israeli-backed Gaza aid agency

Israel punches back at UN chief for demanding probe into Gaza aid site shooting

Trump insists no enrichment in Iran deal after US said to offer limited nuke activity

Spain reneges on $325m purchase of anti-tank missiles from Israel’s Rafael

Is the government using the housing crisis to drive the settlement movement?

A book to wake up the world: Ex-hostage Eli Sharabi launches memoir of captivity and survival

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: The Al-Ansar Mosque in Gaza's Deir al-Balah after Israeli airstrikes, June 3, 2025. (Photo by Ali Hassan/Flash90)

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