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 Arab Affairs reporter Gianluca Pacchiani join host Jessica Steinberg in today's episode.

Sokol discusses the government decision to set another memorial day for October 7 by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, held a few days after the holiday of Simhat Torah, the Hebrew date for October 7. Regev went ahead with a plan to memorialize fallen soldiers and civilians killed, in two separate events and will not have any bereaved family members at the events.

He also looks at the plans laid out by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to raise taxes, cut ministries and tax certain savings funds in order to continue funding the ongoing war.

Pacchiani looks at UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon since 1978, but lacking any real ability to stave off Hezbollah in the region.

He also talks about IDF efforts to dismantle Iranian weapons labs in Syria, including a daring mission in September, but one that needs to be happen more broadly in order to curb Hezbollah.

Finally, Pacchiani talks about his ongoing conversations with an Iranian dissident, and Iranian concerns over the impending Israeli attack, in response to the October 1 launch of missiles from Iran.

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

Discussed articles include:

No representative of Oct. 7 bereaved families asked to speak at 2nd government ceremony

Government sets second national day of mourning for October 7

Treasury proposes tax hikes for lowest earners, benefit cuts to fund war

The force that isn’t keeping the peace in Lebanon: 4 scenarios for the future of UNIFIL

A dissident in Iran awaits Israeli reprisal: ‘There’s a very real fear of all-out war’

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IMAGE: Transportation Minister Miri Regev attends ceremony marking the one-year anniversary of the October 7 massacre, at Ben Gurion International Airport, October 7, 2024. (Photo by Flash90)

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