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. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/emanuel-fabian/] joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/] for today’s episode. On Tuesday, Israel targeted leaders from the Hamas terror group gathering in Qatar who were reportedly there to discuss a new ceasefire proposal put forward by Trump’s administration. Yesterday, Netanyahu appeared to acknowledge that the missile strike had failed to kill the targeted leaders. Fabian brings us new information on how the strike was carried out. Following an evacuation warning, the IDF says it struck a high-rise tower in Gaza City that was being used by Hamas. Just after recording time, two more 10- to 15-story buildings were demolished, in each case after civilians were warned by the IDF to evacuate. We learn about why the IDF is targeting these buildings and how they are taken down. A drone launched by the Houthis in Yemen was intercepted by Israeli air defenses near Ramon Airport in southern Israel this morning. Last week, a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthis evaded air defenses and smashed into the Ramon Airport terminal. Fabian speaks about the Houthis’ new targeting tactic and its results so far. Israeli soldiers raided the home of Palestinian activist and Oscar-winning director Basel Adra in the southern West Bank yesterday after two Israelis were injured by stone throwing in the area, according to the military. Adra told The Associated Press that before the army raid, Israeli settlers had attacked his village of at-Tuwani, injuring two of his brothers and one cousin. Fabian discusses how these “he said-he said” attacks are all too common. To close the program, we turn to last week’s violent terror attacks in Jerusalem and Kibbutz Tzuba. Fabian explains how intensive IDF efforts in the West Bank have brought attacks of this nature to almost zero — but that there is a steep price to be paid. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. [https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-14-2025/] For further reading: IDF says 280,000 Gaza City residents have left; high-rise said used by Hamas hit in strike [https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-280000-gaza-city-residents-have-left-high-rise-allegedly-used-by-hamas-hit-in-strike/] IDF downs Yemen missile aimed at Tel Aviv; Houthis claim it had cluster bomb warhead [https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-downs-yemen-missile-aimed-at-tel-aviv-houthis-claim-it-had-cluster-bomb-warhead/] West Bank home of Basel Adra, activist and Oscar-winning director, raided by IDF [https://www.timesofisrael.com/west-bank-home-of-basel-adra-activist-and-oscar-winning-director-raided-by-idf/] IDF seals homes of Palestinian terrorists behind deadly Jerusalem shooting [https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-seals-homes-of-palestinian-terrorists-behind-deadly-jerusalem-shooting/] Two wounded, one seriously, in terror stabbing at hotel west of Jerusalem [https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-wounded-one-seriously-in-suspected-terror-stabbing-at-hotel-west-of-jerusalem/] Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-times-of-israel-daily-briefing/id1547404042], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1vhvFPvN0fFn5YRHCEcxrn], YouTube, [https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnR6FOcOvFdMbb0w1n0Ev0orcVkufgZ89] or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: IDF strikes leveling mid-rise buildings in Gaza City on September 10, 2025. (Screencapture/STRINGER/AFPTV/AFP) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/] speaking with senior analyst Haviv Rettig Gur. There are still lots of questions and not a lot of answers after a bold Israeli airstrike targeted a meeting of Hamas’s top leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday. According to some reports, the leadership had gathered to discuss a new US-sponsored hostage-ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. At publication, reports still differ as to whether the attack was successful. And just before recording on Wednesday, the IDF confirmed it had carried out strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, saying it struck military camps where operatives were gathered, the headquarters of the terror group’s propaganda division, and a fuel depot, in both Sanaa and in the al-Jawf area north of the capital. Borschel-Dan asks Rettig Gur: Is Israel acting like an unpredictable "Middle Easterner" to restore deterrence on all fronts? In a quick-take conversation, we hear why Rettig Gur doesn't put much weight into diplomatic theatrics as Israel fights its existential war against the Hamas terror group that launched the war on October 7, 2023. We ask: What does it mean to fail in a daring op? Has Israel burned all of its allies' goodwill? And so this week, we ask Haviv Rettig Gur, what matters now? What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/times-will-tell/id1067953235?mt=2], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5Hqgs4Cy5VkdXB51eW2jjd], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnR6FOcOvFdMHmmVLVJUNrE198zXKQWna] or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves [https://thepodwaves.com/]. Illustrative image: The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Astana, Kazakhstan, October 13, 2022. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's newest podcast series, Friday Focus [https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/friday-focus/]. Each Friday, join host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/] and diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/lazar-berman/] for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. It’s September 15, 2020, and on the South Lawn of the White House, a group of leaders from the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain assembled to mark a once-unlikely normalization agreement. Berman talks us through why these countries were originally included in the accords and which were on deck before the Hamas massacre of 1,200 on October 7, 2023, that launched the Gaza War. We hear what gains were made through these accords -- and what setbacks there have been since the Gaza War erupted. We also discuss how Israel’s recent attempted assassination of the Hamas leadership this week in Qatar may affect relations with Gulf States moving forward. Friday Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, US President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan pose for a photo on the Blue Room Balcony after signing the Abraham Accords at the White House in Washington, September 15, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

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. Editor David Horovitz [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/david-horovitz/] joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/] for today's episode. Was the United States aware of Israel's plans to conduct an Israeli airstrike targeting a meeting of Hamas’s top leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday? According to some reports, the leadership had gathered to discuss a new US-sponsored hostage-ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. At recording time, reports still differ as to whether the attack was successful. Horovitz untangles what the US may have known of the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back on Wednesday against mounting international criticism over Israel’s strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar the previous day. Can the furious Qataris and other Gulf States be assured that Israel will not repeat such an attack if the opportunity presents itself? President Isaac Herzog sat down on Wednesday in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for what local media described as a tense meeting. Horovitz delves into how Starmer, in the current anti-Israel climate, was asked to defend himself for meeting with the Israeli president. We also hear what message Herzog attempted to convey. The Munich Philharmonic, led by its future chief conductor, Israeli musician Lahav Shani, was disinvited from a performance on September 18 at the Flanders Festival Ghent, because Shani -- the current conductor of the Israel Philharmonic -- has not clearly disavowed the Israeli government. “We have chosen to refrain from collaboration with partners who have not distanced themselves unequivocally from that regime,” the organizers said in a statement. We discuss this incident, which occurred even as the Toronto International Film Festival screened a previously canceled documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” which charts how retired Israeli general Noam Tibon saved his family and others during the 2023 Hamas attack. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. [https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-11-2025/] For further reading: PM, ministers mourn ‘lion-hearted’ Charlie Kirk; some warn of copycat killings in Israel [https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-ministers-mourn-lion-hearted-charlie-kirk-some-warn-of-copycat-killings-in-israel/] Netanyahu tells Qatar to expel Hamas chiefs or bring them to justice: ‘If you don’t, we will’ [https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-tells-qatar-to-expel-hamas-chiefs-or-bring-them-to-justice-if-you-dont-we-will/] Netanyahu takes a calculated risk on a legitimate target in a deeply problematic location [https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-takes-a-calculated-risk-on-a-legitimate-target-in-a-deeply-problematic-location/] Amid strained UK-Israel ties, Herzog holds ‘tough’ meeting with Starmer in London [https://www.timesofisrael.com/amid-strained-uk-israel-ties-herzog-holds-tough-meeting-with-starmer-in-london/] Belgian festival scraps performance by Munich Philharmonic over Israeli conductor [https://www.timesofisrael.com/belgian-festival-scraps-performance-by-munich-philharmonic-over-israeli-conductor/] Israeli film on Oct. 7 premieres at Toronto film festival after initially being dropped [https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-film-on-oct-7-premieres-at-toronto-film-festival-after-initially-being-cut/] Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-times-of-israel-daily-briefing/id1547404042], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1vhvFPvN0fFn5YRHCEcxrn], YouTube, [https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnR6FOcOvFdMbb0w1n0Ev0orcVkufgZ89] or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. Illustrative image: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu answers a question, as US President Donald Trump looks on, during a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House on July 7, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images via AFP) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

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 correspondent Emanuel Fabian [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/emanuel-fabian/] and diplomatic reporter Nava Freiberg [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/nava-freiberg/] join host Amanda Borschel-Dan [https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/amanda-borschel-dan/] for today's episode. Israeli officials quoted anonymously in several Hebrew-language news sites appear to cast increasing doubt on the success of a strike in Qatar targeting the leaders of the Hamas terror group’s politburo yesterday. According to some reports, the leadership had gathered in Doha to discuss a new US-sponsored hostage-ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza. At recording time, reports differ as to whether the attack was successful. Fabian takes us through the strike and we learn about Qatar's military prowess. Defense Minister Israel Katz appeared to reject criticism of the decision to go after Hamas figures in US-allied Qatar, reiterating Israel's stance that the Jewish state will not allow the group to find safe haven anywhere. At the same time, the UN Security Council will meet this afternoon to discuss the attack, among a ripple effect of condemnations from across the globe. Freiberg fills us in on US President Donald Trump's reaction, as well as the statements we're hearing from Gulf states and the greater globe. Fabian updates us on what is happening on the ground in Gaza as around 150,000 Palestinians are estimated by the military to have evacuated from Gaza City, including tens of thousands in the past day. And finally, we speak about freed Israeli-Russian hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov, who is expected to be flown to Israel today and will undergo the same process as hostages freed or rescued from Hamas captivity in Gaza, after she was released to the US embassy in Baghdad yesterday. Fabian reminds us of who Tsurkov is and the events of her capture in March 2023. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. [https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-10-2025/] For further reading: Israeli officials said to doubt success of strike on Hamas leaders in Doha [https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-officials-said-to-doubt-success-of-strike-on-hamas-leaders-in-doha/] Israel strikes Hamas Qatar-based leadership, awaits result; Hamas claims attack failed [https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-officials-said-to-doubt-success-of-strike-on-hamas-leaders-in-doha/] Trump pans Israel for striking in Doha but says ‘eliminating Hamas’ is a ‘worthy goal’ [https://www.timesofisrael.com/white-house-berates-israel-for-unilaterally-bombing-hamas-leaders-in-ally-qatar/] Israeli-Russian graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov freed from captivity in Iraq [https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-russian-graduate-student-elizabeth-tsurkov-freed-from-captivity-in-iraq/] Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-times-of-israel-daily-briefing/id1547404042], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1vhvFPvN0fFn5YRHCEcxrn], YouTube, [https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnR6FOcOvFdMbb0w1n0Ev0orcVkufgZ89] or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, September 10, 2025. (AP/Jon Gambrell) See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.