Daily Briefing Dec 18: Day 73 - Massive tunnel uncovered as others flushed with seawater

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian on lessons learned from the accidental killing of 3 hostages in Gaza, a new international alliance against Houthis, and escalations in the north

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.

Today is day 73 of the war. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s podcast.

Fabian delves into how the IDF is reacting to the accidental killing of 3 Israeli hostages in Gaza on Friday and what IDF Chief Herzi Halevi is saying.

Yesterday, the IDF revealed the largest-ever Hamas attack tunnel discovered by the military, in the northern Gaza Strip, close to the Erez border crossing with Israel, but not inside Israeli territory. Just how big is this tunnel?

Were we not in a ground offensive in Gaza, the tit-for-tat retaliation between Israel and Hezbollah would be addressed more seriously. What has been seen in and out of Lebanon and Syria recently?

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Israel today and may announce efforts to stymie Yemen’s Houthi rebel group, which is targeting shipping in the Red Sea.

The Times of Israel confirmed that Israel’s reported attempt to pump seawater into parts of the vast network of tunnels beneath Gaza was a success. Fabian fills us in.

For the latest updates, please look at The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.