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 Israeli settlers, including one minor, were detained overnight by police over their suspected involvement in an attack on the Palestinian West Bank village of Jit last week. According to a joint statement issued by police and the Shin Bet, the four are suspected of terrorism against Palestinians in several incidents, including the attack on Jit. We explore how rare this accusation is.

The army announced it was operating at “peak readiness” three weeks ago, following the dual assassinations in Teheran and Beirut, and was able to immediately pivot to try to avert any attack from Iran and Hezbollah. Fabian assesses whether this is still the case amid the continuing conflict along the northern border.

More than 150 tunnels have been demolished along Gaza’s southern border, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Wednesday while speaking with soldiers at the Philadelphi Corridor, as the army said it destroyed some 30 terror sites and killed dozens of gunmen in airstrikes across the enclave over the past day. We hear what else is happening on the ground.

Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, in his last speech as head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, said Wednesday that he was responsible for not providing a warning ahead of Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught. He also seemed to indicate that others who are responsible for the failure should likewise take responsibility and leave the IDF. But where would he stop?

Amid a persistent manpower shortage caused by the ongoing war in Gaza, the defense establishment has started recalling to duty some 15,000 previously exempted reservists. We hear who is affected by this recall to reserves even as only seven ultra-Orthodox men report for duty yesterday -- and 70 in the past month -- amid riots.

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

Discussed articles include:

Gallant: IDF razed 150 tunnels on Egypt-Gaza border, defeated Hamas’s Rafah Brigade

Israeli hurt in rocket barrage on Golan; Fatah official tied to Iran killed in Sidon strike

Outgoing IDF intel chief Haliva says he failed to warn of Oct. 7, urges state probe

Amid troop shortage, IDF begins calling up 15,000 previously released reservists

IDF: Only some 70 Haredi men have reported to induction centers since High Court ruling

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. 

IMAGE: A man stands in front of burnt cars, a day after an attack by Jewish settlers on the village of Jit near Nablus in the occupied West Bank that left a 23-year-old man dead and others with critical gunshot wounds, on August 16, 2024. (Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP)

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