Daily Briefing Mar. 29 – Northerners feel grim amid war but firm on need to defeat Hezbollah

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.

Health editor Diana Bletter and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

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With the northern city of Kiryat Shmona and surrounding towns facing constant fire from Hezbollah rockets, Bletter reports on the sense of desolation and concern from residents that the IDF won’t finish the job in Lebanon, which could require them to go through another round of war in another six months’ time.

Surkes discusses organization’ efforts to help the Arab community in Israel’s north build emotional resilience during wartime, amid concerns over a lack of adequate shelter in their communities and the terrible wave of gang-led violence.

After the Health Ministry budget was cut by $20 million, Bletter reports on fundraising efforts by Israeli hospitals, which are running their operations underground during the war for the sake of safety.

Finally, Surkes briefly examines how birds struggle to breed in open spaces against the backdrop of noise pollution from nearby roads.

Check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Northern residents concerned IDF won’t be allowed to ‘finish the job’ against Hezbollah

In mixed Haifa, weary residents face near-constant Iranian and Hezbollah missile fire

Facing violence on all fronts, Arab Israelis are unprecedentedly open to mental health help

As Iranian missiles rain down, hospitals scramble to raise funds for underground shelters

Road racket killing the mood for birds breeding in half of Israel’s open spaces – study

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

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