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 joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Rockets and drones launched from Lebanon set sirens blaring across northern Israel in the early hours of Monday, as the Hezbollah terror group entered the fray to assist its backer, Iran, after the killing of the supreme leader. Fabian describes how this strike from the terror group has allowed the IDF to add Hezbollah heads to an ongoing campaign to decapitate the leadership of Iran.
Nine people were killed and more than 40 were injured when a missile destroyed a Beit Shemesh synagogue and caused extensive damage to a public bomb shelter beneath it, as well as surrounding homes. Fabian explains what we know about the failure to down this missile and why the impact was so deadly.
Three American soldiers have been killed, and five have been seriously wounded in the ongoing conflict with Iran, the US Central Command said Sunday, announcing the first US casualties in the conflict. We also learn how a strike on a UK base in Cyprus has potentially changed its willingness to aid the effort against Iran.
Fabian turns back to 8:10 a.m. on Saturday and explores how the conflict began. Israeli Air Force fighter jets have dropped over 2,000 bombs in strikes against hundreds of Iranian regime targets and military sites since the start of the war with the Islamic Republic on Saturday morning. How does this compare with the June 12-day war?
And finally, as Purim is set to begin this evening for most of the Jewish world, are Israelis allowed to gather for the reading of the Book of Esther?
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IDF strikes in Beirut after Hezbollah enters fray and fires rockets, drones at north
Four of the 9 victims of Iranian missile strike on Beit Shemesh named by authorities
9 killed as Iranian missile destroys synagogue, smashes bomb shelter in Beit Shemesh
‘Everything is gone’: Deadly Iranian strike on Beit Shemesh leaves residents reeling
3 American soldiers killed, 5 seriously injured in war with Iran — US military
Drone hit British military base in Cyprus, local and UK officials say
IDF: Over 2,000 bombs dropped on Iran in 30 hours, air supremacy achieved on 1st day
Trump says he’s agreed to talk to Iran’s leaders, but estimates operation will take weeks
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Adina Karpuj.
IMAGE: Hezbollah supporters wave their group's flags and an Iranian national flag during a protest in Beirut, Lebanon, February 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
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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 Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed Saturday in a joint US-Israeli strike on his Tehran compound at the outset of a long-planned military operation against the Islamic Republic. Berman weighs in on how, after Khamenei's almost 37 years in power, the regime may choose a new leader -- or whether the people could rise up and create a new paradigm.
We speak about the widespread nature of Iran's retaliatory strikes, including on many of its neighboring Arab states. As opposed to the June 2025 12-day war, Iran seems bent on punishing US allies in the region. We hear how these nations, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, are responding so far.
International opinion on the US-Israel "preemptive strike" is mixed. Berman explores how nations are walking a fine diplomatic line in their public support -- or condemnation -- of the new war.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Khamenei set Iran’s direction for decades. Now the public he suppressed has hope
After Khamenei killed, Iran set for largely opaque supreme succession
End of an era as Iran confirms Khamenei is dead; Trump: Justice for Iranians and beyond
Woman killed, dozens injured as Iranian missile strikes Tel Aviv residential block
Strait of Hormuz: Key oil route in middle of Iran crisis
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Gabriella Jacobs produced this episode and Ari Schlacht edited.
IMAGE: Government supporters mourn during a gathering after state TV officially announced the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown in the poster, in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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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 correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.
Israel and the US launched a major joint strike on Iran on Saturday, with waves of attacks on sites across the Islamic Republic. US and Israeli officials confirmed that this coordinated strike has been months in the making.
Fabian updates us that strikes targeted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside other top regime and military commanders. We hear what we currently know about the strikes' results, even as Iran has retaliated with some 40 ballistic missiles so far.
Schools have been canceled for the near future and medical centers around Israel have switched to emergency mode, moving critical patients and operations to underground complexes or protected spaces.
Finally, Borschel-Dan asks Fabian what he knows about a projected timeline for the war, based on what he is hearing from the IDF.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
US and Israel launch major joint assault on Iran; Trump indicates goal is to topple regime
Full text of Trump’s declaration of ‘major combat operations’ against Iran
Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Adina Karpuj.
IMAGE: Smoke rises on the skyline after an explosion in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.(AP Photo)
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Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.
In today's Oscar-themed episode, movie maven Hoffman begins with a rant against the cynical social media uproar over a misstepped statement made at the Berlin Festival.
We then hear about the 2025 hit "Blue Moon," which portrays a pivotal night in the life of master lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film is up for two Academy Awards, but one of our team would not give it the time of day again.
Next, we turn to a 14-minute animated film called "Papillion," which captivated the pair. It is a painterly immersive dive into the life of Alfred Nakache, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, only to end up in Auschwitz that is one of five films competing for best short animation.
Check out the "oy," the "meh" and "not bad" marks given to these films in this week's The Reel Schmooze.
The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.
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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
There is a religious community in Israel dedicated to spreading peace throughout the country and beyond. Days after October 7, this community opened its doors for hundreds of Israelis from diverse backgrounds, stressing the importance of maintaining peaceful dialogue between ethnic and religious groups.
That community is Muslim.
The Ahmadiyya number only around 2,000 in Israel, but are part of a global community of some 20 million.
In today's Lazar Focus, Imam Imad Al Masri, a Jordanian cleric living in Haifa, explains the origins of his sect and makes an impassioned case for the Ahmadiyya vision for spreading peace around the world.
As he marks the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, he discusses the community's outreach in Palestinian areas, including in the Gaza Strip under Hamas rule and during the recent war there. Al Masri recounts the reaction of the Ahmadiyya community to the October 7, 2023, attacks and how they dealt with initial suspicions from their Jewish neighbors.
As Israel maintains a shaky ceasefire in Gaza and prepares for a possible war with Iran, the Ahmadiyya present an unwavering call for peace that many find refreshing and uplifting.
Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.
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