Daily Briefing Sept. 22: Day 352 - Is the IDF prepping the ground for a northern incursion?

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 reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today’s episode.

After a series of sharp escalations in the almost year-long tit-for-tat conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, some 2 million Israelis are in areas that are currently affected by Hezbollah rocket fire. This deeper Hezbollah retaliation comes after the IDF assassination of some dozen top commanders of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force in a Friday strike in Beirut that killed Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s military operations. We begin the program by hearing how significant Aqil was, and how much of a blow this mass assassination was.

We hear about the scope of Hezbollah’s fighting force and learn about a new kind of missile being used in the deeper attacks today. And, is the IDF prepping the ground for an incursion?

The IDF carried out airstrikes this morning and on Saturday against a group of Hamas operatives in command rooms embedded within former school in Gaza. With most of Gaza under IDF control, when will it move into the small pockets in central Gaza that have not yet been touched?

Two terrorists who likely murdered six Israeli hostages in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip at the end of last month were killed by Israeli troops, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Saturday. How did the IDF tie the terrorists to the hostages?

A Jewish Israeli civilian was arrested last month after he was allegedly recruited by Iran to advance an assassination plot against Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, or head of the Shin Bet, authorities announced on Thursday. The suspect, named as 73-year-old Moti Maman from the southern city of Ashkelon, was indicted on Thursday, after which the Shin Bet revealed details of the investigation. What do we know?

For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog.

Discussed articles include:

Hezbollah fires 100 rockets at north, wounding 3; teen killed in crash during siren

IDF confirms eliminating multiple top Hezbollah commanders in Friday’s Beirut strike

IDF says it struck Hamas operatives at inactive Gaza school; 21 reported killed

Army says it killed 2 Hamas terrorists who likely murdered 6 Israeli hostages in tunnel

Israeli Jew recruited by Iran in plot to kill Netanyahu, Gallant or Shin Bet head Bar

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