Daily Briefing Dec 6: Day 61 - As fierce battles rage in Strip, Gazans heed IDF warnings

Military reporter Emanuel Fabian on evacuation routes and a rare apology to Lebanon over the death of a soldier; reporter Jeremy Sharon on settler extremists’ violence

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 61 of the war. Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian and settlements reporter Jeremy Sharon join host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s podcast.

The IDF says “fierce battles” with Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip continue. As of this morning, 83 soldiers have died in the Gaza ground offensive, and the Air Force has carried out strikes against more than 250 targets over the past day. Fabian describes what is happening on the ground, as well as an idea to flood terror tunnels.

In a rare statement, the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday expressed regret for killing a Lebanese soldier while striking a Hezbollah-linked target earlier in the day, the first such death since cross-border hostilities began in October. What does this apology represent?

A European Union-funded school and some 10 homes in a village of the South Hebron Hills region of the West Bank have been demolished by “unknown parties.” Sharon describes the incident and puts it into context with attacks on activists who are attempting to protect Palestinians in the West Bank.

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