Day 254 - Behind the IDF's most loss-filled day in six months

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. The deaths of 11 soldiers were announced over the past day. We begin with the group of 8 who were killed in Rafah in the IDF’s deadliest incident in the past six months. Two reservists were killed when their tank came under attack in northern Gaza over the weekend, the military also announced Sunday. And finally, Fabian describes the incident involving a further soldier, Sgt. Yair Roitman, 19, of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, from Karnei Shomron, who succumbed to his wounds from Monday over the weekend. The IDF announced this morning a new daily 11-hour tactical pause of military activity along a key road in the southern Gaza Strip. What is the purpose of this? At the same time, the United States military is preparing to temporarily remove its humanitarian pier off the coast of Gaza because of anticipated sea conditions, a US official said on Friday. And finally, footage circulating on social media on Thursday showed Israeli soldiers using a kind of a catapult to launch incendiaries at Lebanon, to spark fires on the other side of the border. What was the official IDF response to this? For more updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Eight troops killed in Rafah explosion, in deadliest incident for IDF in 6 months Two reservists killed in north Gaza, as soldiers slain in Rafah blast named IDF announces daily pause in fighting along key south Gaza road to increase aid flow US to temporarily remove aid pier from Gaza coast again due to bad weather Troops use trebuchet to launch incendiaries at Lebanon THOSE WE HAVE LOST: Civilians and soldiers killed in Hamas's onslaught on Israel THOSE WE ARE MISSING: The hostages and victims whose fate is still unknown 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.  IMAGE: Troops of the Commando Brigade operate in southern Gaza's Rafah, in a handout photo published June 15, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.