Day 712 - Zamir rallies troops as IDF moves into Gaza City
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 September 2025
⏱️ 21 minutes
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Summary
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 correspondent Emanuel Fabian joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode.
At least 600,000 Gazans are still in Gaza City as the IDF ground offensive enters its second day, says Fabian, and the army is steering clear of them. Estimates suggest that the operation will take months, although Fabian notes that it is unclear if the government or international community will allow it to continue for that long.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir was on the frontlines in Gaza City on Tuesday at the start of the offensive, says Fabian. He discusses the chief of staff's complicated role in leading the army and his need to present to the government the complications and risks to the troops and hostages in the Gaza offensive, as well as the possible opportunities.
The IDF struck the Houthi-held port of Hodeida on Tuesday and, in response, Israel received the 85th rocket strike from the Yemeni rebel force in the evening, which was intercepted. Fabian explains that the IDF has repeatedly hit the Yemeni port, as it is where the Houthis receive imports of Iranian weapons.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
IDF begins major Gaza City ground offensive targeting Hamas; dozens of Gazans said killed
IDF chief insists it’s his duty to warn of Gaza City op’s ‘risks and opportunities’
Israel strikes Houthi-held port of Hodeida in response to drone and rocket fire
As Hamas urges Gazans to stay put, its leaders are trying to flee Strip, says Israel
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IMAGE: IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir (right) speaks with 98th Division commander Brig. Gen. Guy Levi and other officers in Gaza City, September 16, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel's Daily Briefing. It is Wednesday, September 17th, and I'm Jessica Steinberg. I'm speaking today with military correspondent Emmanuel Fabian. Hey, Manny. How you doing? Hi, good morning. Good morning. It is day 712 of the war. Israel is opening up a second route for Palestinian residents fleeing Gaza |
| 0:24.3 | City as the IDF presses its offensive for a second day. In Jerusalem, police dispersed demonstrators, |
| 0:32.4 | including hostage families, who had set up a protest encampment outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home |
| 0:38.9 | starting in the earlier part of the week. We'll talk about what's happening in Gaza, some back and forth |
| 0:46.6 | between IDF Chief of Staff Ayal Zemir and the government and all of it. So stay with us. |
| 0:57.0 | Genocide. It's a word that triggers us in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more than any other. |
| 1:04.0 | A word coined in the wake of the Holocaust, and now it's being levied against the Jewish state. |
| 1:11.9 | On the unpacking Israeli history podcast, host Noam Weisman sits down with historian and writer |
| 1:18.0 | Gil Troy for an important and difficult conversation, examining the accusations of genocide |
| 1:23.7 | against Israel. Gil and Noam explore deeply challenging questions about morality during wartime, |
| 1:31.3 | whether Israel is living up to its own standards while fighting for survival, and what this |
| 1:36.9 | tells us about the war, the Jewish people, and the future of Zionism itself. |
| 1:42.6 | Join Noam and Gil for this sweeping conversation on |
| 1:46.1 | Unpacking Israeli History, wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 1:50.3 | Okay, Manny. Okay, Manny. The grand offensive into Gaza City began. Yesterday, you've obviously been reporting on it very steadily, including reports that local medics had said that dozens were killed and injured in strikes. And meanwhile, |
| 2:19.2 | we have the anguished families of hostages held in Gaza who are terrified for their loved ones, |
| 2:24.9 | who it has seemed through some Hamas videos, propaganda videos, received in the last few weeks, |
| 2:30.8 | that they are also in Gaza City. So let's start with the offensive. |
| 2:35.6 | What does it look like? Where are we right now? What can you tell us? |
| 2:38.9 | So we're really talking about the initial phases of this ground operation, despite early reports |
| 2:45.4 | from Palestinian media that were also cited by Israeli outlets, that tanks were in the heart of Gaza City, |
| 2:51.8 | that we're not talking about that just yet. The IDF was already operating on the outskirts |
... |
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