Daily Briefing Feb. 9: Day 492 – 2 released hostages didn’t know loved ones were killed

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 Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

As three hostages, Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami returned to Israel on Saturday, questions arose about what they knew of their families’ fates. Fabian discusses what each man learned upon coming home to Israel: whether Eli Sharabi had been told of his wife and daughters’ deaths by Hamas, by the Red Cross or by his family; and if Or Levy knew his wife Eynav had been killed before he was taken into captivity.

The IDF has cleared out its remaining positions along the Netzarim Corridor, says Fabian, and Gazans are already approaching the areas that had been occupied by troops.

With nine more days left in the ceasefire with Lebanon, Fabian discusses Israel’s enforcement of the agreement, and the understandings that allow Israel to act against any Hezbollah activity, including via Saturday’s IDF strikes against the terror group’s members at a strategic missile site.

Following another Saturday IDF strike, on a Hamas arms depot near Damascus, Fabian says the site was known to the IDF and it was suspected that the arms could be used to attack IDF troops in the area.

Please see today’s ongoing live blog for more updates.

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.

For further reading:

Almog, 3, to his dad, freed hostage Or Levy: ‘It took you a long time to come back’

IDF strikes Hezbollah operatives in eastern Lebanon; 6 reported killed, 2 wounded

IDF says it carried out airstrike on Hamas arms depot near Damascus

Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode here: