Day 643 - IDF executes ground ops in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria

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.

To begin the program we discuss the current status of IDF operations in the Gaza Strip and then turn to two deadly incidents this week. In the first discussed event, we learn that Master Sgt. (res.) Abraham Azulay, 25, was killed during an abduction attempt by terrorists who also attempted to snatch his body in the southern Gaza Strip.

On Monday night, five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 were wounded by roadside bombs in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. The slain soldiers were named as: Staff Sgt. Meir Shimon Amar, 20, from Jerusalem; Sgt. Moshe Nissim Frech, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Noam Aharon Musgadian, 20, from Jerusalem; Staff Sgt. Moshe Shmuel Noll, 21, from Beit Shemesh; and Sgt. First Class (res.) Benyamin Asulin, 28, from Haifa. We learn about this deadly attack and discuss the significance of both attacks -- regarding Hamas's continued battle-readiness and the IDF's vigilance.

Turning to the north, on Tuesday, the IDF said it killed a “key Hamas terrorist” in a strike in Lebanon's Tripoli, naming him as Mehran Mustafa Bajur, a prominent Hamas commander. We learn about this strike, as well as ground operations inside southern Lebanon where troops raided several sites, destroying Hezbollah weapon depots and other infrastructure.

Twice earlier in the week, the IDF carried out overnight raids in southern Syria, where forces captured a cell of operatives operating on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Fabian weighs in on the power vacuum left in this part of Israel's border with the new Syrian regime.

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

For further reading:

Israeli soldier killed during attempted Hamas abduction in southern Gaza, IDF says

5 IDF soldiers killed, 14 injured by roadside bombs in northern Gaza

IDF says it killed key Hamas figure in Lebanon, confirms death of Oct. 7 terrorist in Gaza

Troops destroy Hezbollah arms in rare southern Lebanon ground raids, IDF says

For 2nd time in days, IDF says troops arrested terror cell in Syria working for Iran

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: A July 4, 2025, handout photo of IDF forces operating in the Gaza Strip. (IDF)

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