Daily Briefing Mar. 31: Day 542 – IDF tells Gazans to leave Rafah, Trump threatens Iran

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.

Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz and reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today’s episode.

As the IDF warns Gazans to leave Rafah in southern Gaza, saying the military is returning to fight to eliminate terrorist capabilities as part of its military pressure to bring about a hostage deal, Horovitz reviews the situation in the Gaza Strip. He discusses the ongoing divide in Israeli society over how to bring the remaining hostages home, whether through military pressure or negotiations.

Horovitz also looks at the CBS “60 Minutes” interview with released hostages, including freed captive Yarden Bibas, who called for US President Donald Trump to “stop this war and help bring all of the hostages back.”

As Trump threatens Iran with strikes if it doesn’t return to nuclear talks, Horovitz talks about the rise in rhetoric between the two nations.

Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the hardest-hit collectives on October 7, is working to remember its dead and find solutions for its future, and Surkes discusses a book written by one of its residents about the challenges facing the kibbutz that had been privatized years before the Hamas terror attack. She also describes a recently installed memorial for those killed on the kibbutz on October 7.

Please see today’s ongoing liveblog 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:

IDF tells Gazans to flee entire Rafah area in largest evacuation since fighting resumed

Yarden Bibas to 60 Minutes: Only Trump can convince Netanyahu, Hamas to renew ceasefire-hostage deal

Trump threatens ‘there will be bombing’ if Iran fails to make deal on nukes

‘A murder in every corner’: 60-year resident writes book on Kfar Aza challenges post-Oct. 7

Kfar Aza Oct. 7 memorial forms unforeseen stop on trail envisioned by murdered Ofir Libstein

Check out yesterday’s Daily Briefing episode here: