Daily Briefing June 23: Underground Hezbollah base put all of Israel in range

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.

WATCH the full episode here:

Following an IDF press tour of a Hezbollah underground military base, Fabian describes the massive space, created with Iranian planning and funds, used as a staging ground for car-sized UAV drones that can reach the length and breadth of Israel.

Fabian notes that the underground base is similar to what has been found in Iran — missile sites built into mountains to hold and launch assets, constructed during the last decade.

With Israel and Lebanon slated to restart talks in Washington, DC, on today, Fabian discusses the IDF’s positioning in Lebanon and the ceasefire limitations that restrict it from acting against all but the most immediate threats.

Several Hamas terrorists in Gaza who were known to have been involved in taking hostages on October 7, 2023, were recently targeted and killed by IDF strikes. Fabian reports that while the operations violate the ongoing ceasefire, the IDF claims the terrorists were planning attacks on Israeli forces.

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

For further reading:

IDF captures Hezbollah drone factory and launch site hidden inside south Lebanon mountain

On eve of direct Jerusalem-Beirut talks, Israel vows to maintain presence in Lebanon

IDF: Oct. 7 terrorist who held Omer Shem Tov hostage killed in recent Gaza strike

IDF says it killed Hamas sniper who moonlighted as Al Jazeera cameraman

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

Check out yesterday’s episode here: