Media: Israel Almost Сompletely Withdraws From Southern Gaza Tonight
- 7.04.2024, 14:42
Only one IDF brigade remained there.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdrew almost all forces from the southern Gaza Strip. The The Jerusalem Post. reported.
According to media reports, there is only one brigade left in the south after several months of fighting. The task is to ensure the security of the corridor connecting southern Israel with the coast of the Gaza Strip.
This corridor allows the IDF to conduct raids in northern and central Gaza, prevents the return of Palestinians to the northern part of the Strip, and allows humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to northern Gaza.
Radio station Kan writes that the withdrawal of troops is not connected with political pressure, including from the United States. The same was stated by the IDF representative in a comment to The Jerusalem Post. The military also announced the end of the active stage of the war, leaving open the possibility of a future new invasion of Rafah, writes JPost.
United Right Party leader Gideon Sa’ar stated that this distances Israel from victory:
"Regardless of what happens later in the war, the continuous decrease in the size of the forces and the intensity of the military pressure over the past months - has kept us far away from achieving the war goals. This is directly connected to our moving away from arriving at a new hostage deal," he wrote on X.
In late March, the Israeli government approved operational plans for an IDF offensive in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
He said that Israel is preparing to evacuate the population in the region. According to him, the destruction of Hamas in Rafah is “necessary for victory”, without which Israel will face an “existential threat”. He did not say when the offensive operation could begin.
“It won't take long. Nothing will stop us: neither US pressure, nor any other pressure,” Netanyahu said.
In early March, US President Joe Biden warned Israel against an offensive in Rafah. According to him, this will be a "red line" for Netanyahu.
Despite this, on March 15, Netanyahu approved a plan to conduct an operation in the city of Rafah. On March 22, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer said that Israel would storm Rafah even if it caused a split in relations with Washington.
On April 4, Biden demanded that Prime Minister Netanyahu immediately cease fire in the Gaza Strip, the White House said in a press release following the conversation between the leaders of the two countries. The future US policy towards the conflict will depend on Israel's immediate actions to provide humanitarian assistance and protect civilians, according to Biden.