Rafah Crossing is readied for Gazans to pass through
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 1 February 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
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.
As Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warns of a regional conflict in the case of a US attack, Fabian reports that the IDF is on high alert and in contact with its US counterparts, with expectations of updates if US President Donald Trump decides to strike the regime.
Gaza's Rafah Crossing with Egypt is being prepared ahead of its official opening on Monday, reports Fabian, when approved Gazan residents will be able to return to Gaza and leave the Strip.
Fabian discusses the IDF report regarding the accuracy of the Hamas-led Health Ministry toll of around 70,000 Gazans during the war, noting that the overall number doesn't include a breakdown between civilians and terrorists.
As the IDF Hostages and Missing Persons Headquarters goes dormant with the release of the final hostage body of fallen police officer Ran Gvili, Fabian discusses some of the work of the unit that opened after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, including intelligence gathering and rescue missions.
Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.
For further reading:
Zamir spoke with US officials over weekend amid tensions with Iran
Israel confirms Gaza’s Rafah Crossing will reopen Sunday to pedestrians in both directions
IDF believes 70,000 Gazans killed in war, as claimed by Hamas; civilian-combatant ratio unclear
‘We did not assess all would return’: IDF shutters its Hostages HQ 846 days after Oct. 7
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IMAGE: Palestinian patients wait at Rafah Crossing to leave Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, on February 2, 2025. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/ Flash90)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, welcome to the Times of Israel's Daily Briefing. It is Sunday, February 1st, and I'm Jessica Steinberg. |
| 0:10.2 | Just a quick note before we begin, many of us are planning our summers, so consider the Times of |
| 0:16.1 | Israel's tour of Israel, where our journalists, including yours truly and Manny, who is beside me today, |
| 0:22.2 | take you on our beats for a unique experience of seeing how it is from the inside. There's one |
| 0:28.3 | coming up in July. We'd love for you to join. For more info, go to timesofisrael.com |
| 0:34.6 | slash join. That's J-O-I-N. Okay, back to our podcast today. I'm here today with |
| 0:41.2 | military correspondent Emmanuel Fabian. Hi, Manny. Shavua Tov, how you doing? Hi, Jessica Shavatov. |
| 0:47.0 | Hey there. The headlines that we'll be discussing today, Irins Chameen issues a direct threat. |
| 0:53.1 | Gaza's Rafa crossing is opening today for a limited passage. |
| 0:58.0 | We'll talk about that. |
| 0:59.7 | There's also the Hamas' health ministry figures of the war, so we'll talk about that as well. |
| 1:06.9 | Do a little deep dive into that. |
| 1:08.9 | And the closure of the IDF's hostages and missing |
| 1:12.3 | person's headquarters. Stay with us for all of that. |
| 1:19.2 | This is Israel's story. |
| 1:22.6 | He could feel the ticking of the clock. On their nightly debrief calls, General Sege of the military |
| 1:28.3 | attache, was sounding increasingly anxious. Both men knew that with each passing day, the |
| 1:34.9 | window of opportunity was closing. The Shah's regime was crumbling, and El Al flights were having |
| 1:40.2 | ever more trouble landing. And then suddenly, Avramk called a phone call from Iran. |
| 1:45.5 | It was the prince himself, who said, |
| 1:48.0 | I'm in a few days leaving the country, because there is a revolution here. |
| 1:52.2 | So if you want your animals, you have to come now. |
... |
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